Former President Donald Trump remarked on Thursday that the prospects for an agreement between Russia and Ukraine appear minimal, cautioning against potential 'harsh' measures should peace efforts falter.

Trump emphasized the need for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the suffering and initiate a ceasefire, noting that Putin informed him of plans to respond to what he characterized as a 'violent Ukrainian attack' within Russian territory.

Despite expressing hopes for a swift resolution to end the ongoing conflict, Trump ruled out an immediate cessation of hostilities, pointing out that Ukraine has received over $500 billion in aid while affirming his support for halting the fighting alongside backing for Kyiv.

During a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, Trump conveyed his request to President Putin to refrain from retaliating against Ukraine's attacks on Russian air bases.

In response to the escalating conflict, the Kremlin announced that the Russian military would determine 'how and when' to retaliate against strikes launched by Ukraine over the past weekend targeting Russian air bases.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated in a daily press briefing that the response would come 'as and when our army deems it appropriate'.

Ukraine has launched attacks on Russian military aircraft at several airports located thousands of kilometers from its borders, allegedly using drone strikes to infiltrate Russia.

Moscow has accused Kyiv of being responsible for recent explosions that led to the collapse of two bridges and incidents involving trains that resulted in seven fatalities and over 100 injuries, including children, in the regions of Kursk and Bryansk bordering Ukraine.

At least five individuals were killed in a Russian drone strike targeting Ukraine late Wednesday into Thursday, following a phone conversation between Trump and Putin in which the former affirmed that 'immediate peace' between Kyiv and Moscow is currently unattainable.

In Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged 'unconditional' support for Russia across all sectors, including its military actions in Ukraine, expressing confidence in Moscow's eventual victory in the conflict.

This week, Russia and Ukraine are set to conduct a new prisoner exchange involving 500 captives from each side, continuing ongoing agreements between the two nations.

This follows a previous exchange of 1,000 prisoners from both sides and an agreement for the transfer of the bodies of thousands of soldiers who were killed during the ongoing hostilities.

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has conducted a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, challenging the latter to abandon its aspirations for joining Western military alliances as a condition for halting its aggression, which Ukraine firmly rejects as interference in its domestic affairs.