The Kremlin has not changed its stance on its territorial demands from Ukraine, Moscow said, rejecting speculation that Russia might have scaled back its terms for a possible ceasefire to end the war.

Russia is analysing the latest Western sanctions, and will act according to its interests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Russia’s top economic envoy has arrived in the United States for “official” talks just days after President Donald Trump announced tough new sanctions on Russia, sources with knowledge of the visit have told CNN.

The Kremlin stressed on Wednesday that the dates for the face-to-face talks, due to take place in Hungary, "weren't set" and that this would still happen.

Russia has grappled with a shrinking and aging population for decades, with President Vladimir Putin viewing it as a threat to national security.

Soaring fuel prices and refinery shutdowns leave pumps empty across Russia, with the Kremlin warning gas station owners not to raise prices.

When they are not fighting, they write poetry, letters home or words of praise to their supreme commander,” said one of the directors at Moscow's Museum of Victory.

As a Ukrainian, I’ve seen firsthand how Russia has learned to emulate American soft power for authoritarian ends.

Russian state nuclear energy giant Rosatom signed a $25-billion deal last month with Iran to build four nuclear power plants in the country, which suffers from electricity shortages and currently has only one operating nuclear power plant, built by Russia in the southern city of Bushehr.