WHERE IT STANDS: Still talking.

Analysts say Russia is at a crucial crossroads in the war, where it can negotiate a truce and consolidate gains, or launch a summer military campaign to maximize wins before the onset of winter.Ukraine has always been at a disadvantage and faces manpower and ammunition shortages. Analysts have offered estimates of six months to two years for how much longer it can hang on.

Much will depend on what kind of support Ukraine receives from partners and how quickly the country can scale up domestic weapons production.Russian forces recently intensified offensive operations in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces spokesperson. Soldiers said Russia has a clear aim of reaching the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region, to be able to claim the capture of two out of four partially occupied territories.“The feeling is that we will either hold out and allow the political leadership of the country to freeze the conflict along the contact line, or the enemy will break through,” said a Ukrainian soldier with the call sign Corsair Denis in the Sumy region.

Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their

in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin

by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.“The future is being able to really take production to a scale that has impact,” said Parraguirre Díaz.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean atWASHINGTON (AP) — Human-caused

dialed up the thermostat and turbocharged the odds of this month’s killer heat that has been, a new flash study found.