US senators on Sunday touted a bipartisan bill that would arm President Donald Trump with “sledgehammer” sanctions to use against Russia, ahead of a visit by the US special envoy to Ukraine. Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin grow increasingly frosty.

Ukraine’s security agency says it has tracked down and killed Russian agents who assassinated a Ukrainian intelligence officer during the week.The SBU said in a statement said the Russian agents were killed after resisting arrest.

The legislation, which would allow the president to levy a 500% tariff on imports from countries that purchase Russian uranium, gas and oil, has gained momentum in the Senate as Trump has signaled he will escalate US action against Russia.

Three Ukrainians were killed in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, where Russia captured a first village this week after a months-long incursion. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region — the site of a nuclear plant — two civilians were killed in the attacks, Gov. Ivan Fedorov said.

European Union envoys are on the verge of agreeing an 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine that would include a lower price cap on Russian oil, four EU sources said after a Sunday meeting.

Ukrainian forces will continue targeting Russian troops and doing everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory, including preparing new long-range strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

On Ukraine, Vladimir Putin wants more than Donald Trump has been prepared to offer, writes BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg.

A new book alleges that President Donald Trump told donors he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing Moscow if Russia invaded Ukraine.

President Donald Trump seems to have learned the lesson painfully gleaned by all his 21st-century predecessors: You can’t reset US relations with Vladimir Putin.

Russian media have been reacting to Trump's growing criticism of Putin, the most recent being on Tuesday when he accused the Russian leader of peddling "bulls***" over his intentions in Ukraine, after rejecting U.S. ceasefire proposals.

Vladimir Putin has "played Donald Trump like a violin" - but may have now pushed things too far, the former head of MI6, Sir Alex Younger, has warned in a bombshell interview on BBC Newsnight on Thurs