Russia launches attack on Kyiv ahead of Trump-Zelensky meeting
Russia has attacked Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones ahead of peace talks between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
President Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss peace plans for the war-torn nation.
Trump said in a social media post on December 28 that his meeting with Putin was “excellent and very productive.”
Zelenskiy will arrive at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 28 to discuss a 20-point plan the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders have been negotiating, as the president seeks to finalize a deal to end nearly four years of fighting after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The peace plan would implement security measures to protect Ukraine from further attacks, allow it to maintain an army of 800,000 people, help rebuild the country’s economy and create a plan for joining the European Union.
Zelenskiy said in a social media post on December 27 that security guarantees were the most important aspect of a potential agreement.
“We must try to minimize unresolved issues,” Zelenskiy said ahead of his meeting with Trump. “Of course, today there are lines that Ukraine and its people should not cross. There are also compromises. All of these issues are very sensitive.”
President Trump and President Zelenskiy’s latest meeting came after a roller-coaster year of negotiations to end the war. The president took office promising a quick end to the conflict, but a peace agreement has proven elusive and Trump has slammed both sides.
President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance blasted Zelenskiy during a February meeting that resulted in the Ukrainian leader’s ouster from the White House. He returned in August, and talks have progressed smoothly.
Zelenskiy’s second visit to the White House came after Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin at a summit in Alaska on Aug. 15. His talks with Putin failed to yield any progress, alarming European leaders, and he later joined Zelensky at the White House.
Since then, President Trump has increased pressure on Russia through sanctions against two of Russia’s largest oil companies.
The latest round of hectic diplomatic negotiations began last month. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Putin in Moscow on December 2 and spoke by phone with Zelensky on Christmas Day.
The Trump administration has developed a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, which has drawn criticism for being heavily tilted toward Russia’s interests. Ukrainian officials worked with U.S. negotiators to revise the plan and announced a new 20-point proposal on Dec. 24.
Zelenskiy said American and Ukrainian officials had agreed on much of the plan before his meeting with President Trump, but he arrived in Florida with some major unresolved issues. The issue of territorial concessions has become one of the biggest challenges.
A key point of disagreement is the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia seeks full control of, including land still held by Kiev. Although Ukrainian leaders want to end the conflict on current fronts, President Zelensky has expressed openness to a U.S. proposal to withdraw troops from parts of the Donetsk region controlled by Kiev and create a demilitarized free economic zone.
Regional leaders are also divided over the operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia controls the factory. The United States has proposed a joint operation agreement between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, but both Ukraine and Russia want to exclude the other.
Russian forces expanded their influence in Ukraine during 2025, steadily occupying territory. The day before Zelenskiy and Trump met, Russia barraged Kiev and other parts of Ukraine with missiles and drones.
Contributed by: Reuters
