President Donald Trump says his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict.

While Vladimir Putin is still waiting for a phone call from US President Donald Trump, a shifting political balance in Europe may be strengthening his hand in forthcoming diplomacy to try to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Officials say a Russian drone has blasted a hole in an apartment building in northeastern Ukraine during a nighttime attack that killed at least six people and wounded nine others.

A Russian drone struck a multi-storey apartment building in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy early on Thursday, killing nine people and injuring 13, including a child, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.