US and Russian officials have just wrapped up day-long talks, as part of a diplomatic effort that Washington hopes will help pave the way for broader peace negotiations.

Among other issues, the talks focused on trying to reach a Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal. However, there was no immediate word on whether an agreement had been hammered out or progress had been made. Earlier, Russia had rejected a proposal by Trump for a full 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, and it has so far agreed only to a moratorium on attacking energy infrastructure.

So, will Ukraine eventually have any say at the negotiating table?

On this episode of Morning Shot, Cynthia Hooper, Associate Professor and Russian and Eastern European Studies Program Advisor at the College of the Holy Cross shares her insights.

Presented by: Audrey Siek & Emaad Akhtar
Produced by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) & Nazirul Asrar
Photo credits: Reuters / Thomas Peter