It’s been six months since Ukraine launched its surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and its forces are still in control of a big chunk of the ceased territory – and as calls for peace negotiations grow louder,

By Ben Aris in Berlin Leaders in the US, Russia and Ukraine have all softened their positions slightly in the last week, making the start of ceasefire talks in the coming months more likely. Until now all parties to the war have taken maximalist positions,