A ceasefire deal for Ukraine could be reached within “weeks”, a senior US envoy has said, ahead of talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin later this week.

Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, who met with Putin several days ago, told CNN on Sunday: “I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week.”

“This is a highly... complicated situation, and yet we’re bridging the gap between two sides… [Mr Trump] really expects there to be some sort of deal in the coming weeks, maybe, and I believe that’s the case,” he added.

The Trump administration agreed last week on the outline of a 30-day ceasefire plan with Ukraine during talks in Saudi Arabia, but Putin has so far refused to accept the terms.

Mr Witkoff also told CNN it was “a little premature” to discuss the US being required to recognise territory seized by Russia, a condition that is likely being demanded by Putin to legitimise his invasion in 2022.

It came as US officials suggested that Kyiv would have to make land concessions to secure a ceasefire, while Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk withdrew from a key logistics hub, after Russia claimed control of the town.

Michael Waltz, Mr Trump’s national security adviser, said on Sunday that Ukraine would probably need to give up eastern territories lost to Russian invaders and abandon hope of joining Nato in order to get a deal over the line.