Ukraine and Russia have been exchanging major drone and missile strikes, with each seeking to gain an advantage as US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration nears

Trump has reaffirmed his intention to broker peace in Ukraine, declaring earlier this month that “Putin wants to meet” and that such a meeting is being set up. In the past, he has criticized U.S. military aid for Ukraine and even vowed to end the conflict in a single day if elected.

Russia says it has detected a shift from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his team towards recognising the "realities" on the ground in Ukraine, and sees this as a welcome sign as it prepares to study his plan for ending the war.

For peace to prevail, a compromise needs to be reached not only between Russia and Ukraine but also between the US Trump-led West and Russia.

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Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump believe that a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia can be reached in the coming months. This differs from Trump's campaign statements, Reuters reports.

"Russians greeted Trump's victory with great enthusiasm. They think that because there are people around Trump who are naive about Russia's threat to the United States, Trump will be willing to impose a peace that enables Putin to take political control of Ukraine.