'Putin is emboldened... why would he agree to peace?'

Oscar winner Mstyslav Chernov spent time on the battlefield with Ukrainian soldiers for his latest documentary. He tells Bryony Gooch why he's sceptical about efforts to end the war

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Soldiers fighting on Ukraine’s front lines see no change on the battlefield while peace talks continue back and forth between Kyiv, the Kremlin and the US, a Ukrainian filmmaker has said.

Mstyslav Chernov, the Academy Award-winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, gave The Independent an insight into morale on the frontline after the limited release of his latest documentary, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, put him straight on the battlefield with Ukraine’s armed forces.

It comes as Ukrainian officials continue to negotiate peace terms after the US president Donald Trump put forward a deal to end the war which critics have described as being pro-Russian. While US officials reopened dialogue with the Kremlin in February, Mr Chernov explained that global diplomacy has meant very little to those fighting for their life and homeland.