Renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev's concert in an Italian palace has been canceled without explanation amid an uproar over his support for Vladimir Putin.

Vasily Astrov, expert on the Russian economy at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, told Newsweek that "inflation has really subsided markedly over the past few months. The outcome of this policy has been a marked cooling of domestic demand, with the welcome side effect of rapid disinflation.

Russian forces, meanwhile, pounded four Ukrainian cities in nighttime attacks that officials said killed a child.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to move toward a peace settlement for Ukraine but Moscow's main objective is to achieve its goals, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television in a clip published on Sunday.

Donald Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to a peace deal in Ukraine

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that russian dictator vladimir putin will agree to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine