Vladimir Putin is losing his war in Ukraine , according to Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine .

Amid wider efforts to push Russia into a peace deal, the US administration has – for the most part – avoided criticising Moscow.

The White House has repeatedly supported ending the war on terms more favourable to Putin, suggesting Ukraine would have to give up occupied territory to Russia if it wanted the conflict to conclude.

Last year before his election, Trump even said Ukraine’s people are “dead” and the country itself is “demolished”.

In March, the US president said Russia was absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield, and in August, he invited Putin to Alaska for a summit where he echoed a Kremlin talking point – that the “root causes ” of the conflict had

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