By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.

The coming week could bring an important moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal approaches — or it could simply melt away.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had a “productive” phone call with Donald Trump as Russia ramped up its attacks, despite a deadline set by the US leader for Moscow to end its full-scale invasion.