Vladimir Putin could be getting concerned about a tiny NATO nation on Russia's border which is making open preparations for war. In a David versus Goliath-like scenario, the small Baltic country of Lithuania has begun ramping up military spending and exercises in response to the growing threat from Moscow.

Russian officials are attempting to delay high-level negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new assessment by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).