President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he sympathized with the Russian position that Ukraine should not be part of NATO, and he lamented that he will not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before his inauguration.

Russia's advances in Ukraine over the past week plummeted to levels last seen in July, according to an analysis by an independent investigative Russian news outlet. Newsweek has contacted the Russian government for comment via email.

His statement echoes controversy caused by Trump's suggestion that Russia’s invasion was provoked by Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO. US President-elect has recently stated that he "understands" Russia’s concerns over Ukraine’s NATO bid and blamed the Biden administration for escalating the conflict.

Ukraine has largely been driven out of Kurakhove, a battered but strategic town in the Donbas, Russia said. Kyiv’s forces were pressing a renewed offensive in southern Russia.

Russia claims that its forces have captured the front-line town of Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. The town has borne the brunt of Russian advances in recent months and is a stepping-stone to the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.”