CloseUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at progress on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, following a “really good conversation” with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Christmas Day.
“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelensky said on Telegram on Thursday. “There are some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”
The talks come a day after Mr Zelensky unveiled an updated 20-point peace plan. He said it offered the potential withdrawal of Ukraine troops from the east, with the creation of a demilitarised zone in the Donbas region.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the proposal had been brought to Moscow, and was now being analysed.
The peace discussions come as two people were killed after Russia launched more than 130 drones on Ukraine on Christmas night, Kyiv officials said.
Moscow’s latest aerial assault killed one man in Kharvkiv and another in Odesa, with around 35 others injured, Ukraine’s Air Force reported. Further attacks were launched overnight on Zaporizhzhia and Sumy.
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Ukraine strikes Russia's Krasnodar Krai port, says Ukrainian military
The Ukrainian military attacked multiple Russian facilities overnight, hitting several strategic targets, military officials told the Kyiv Independent.
An oil refining facility, port and military airfield were struck according to the Ukrainian General Staff and a source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), according to the publication.
The hit was orchestrated using drones of the Alpha Special Operations Centre of the SBU with the Temryuk Seaport in Krasnodar Krai and a gas processing plant in Orenburg Oblast targeted.
It is reported to have sparked fires in two oil storage tanks overnight.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 23:00
Zelensky open to withdrawing troops for demilitarised zone in Ukraine in new peace plan
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland in an updated plan to end the war with Russia – if Moscow also pulled back from the area, creating a demilitarised zone.
Unveiling the latest 20-point plan thrashed out but not yet fully agreed with the US, Mr Zelensky said the Donbas region could become a “free economic zone”, but it was unclear how the fought-over area would be governed or developed.
The peace plan, which Mr Zelensky said would need to be put before a referendum, could also involve a similar arrangement around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control.
The plan, presented to reporters on Christmas Eve by the Ukrainian leader, marked the latest counter-proposal to an original 28-point document that was agreed by US envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russians.
Moscow has so far given no indication it will agree to withdrawal from land it has seized.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 22:00
Ukraine's revised 20 point peace plan
Ukraine has unveiled the latest 20-point peace proposal brokered by the US to bring an end to the war with Russia.
Ukrainian and US delegations reached a consensus on several critical issues in the latest round of talks in Miami.
However, Volodymyr Zelensky said sensitive issues around territorial control in the country’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), remain unresolved.
Click here to see the full 20 point proposal.
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
Volodymyr Zelensky calls for meeting with Donald Trump to address territorial conflict in the eastMaira Butt25 December 2025 21:00
Watch: 'May he perish' says Zelensky in Christmas address
Appearing to refer to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Today, we all share one dream.
“And we make one wish – for all of us. ‘May he perish’, each of us may think to ourselves. But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater, we ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it, we pray for it, we deserve it.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 20:00
In pictures: The aftermath of a Russian attack in Chernihiv
Maira Butt25 December 2025 19:30
Chinese satellites aiding Russian attacks, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Chinese satellites could be supporting Russia in its attacks on Ukraine.
“There have been correlations between Chinese satellite imaging of Ukrainian territory and Russian strikes on the corresponding energy infrastructure facilities,” Zelensky said in a social media post on Wednesday following a meeting with Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
“We are recording increased ties between Russia and entities in China that may be providing space-based intelligence data.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 19:00
Ukraine and US discuss how to bring 'real peace closer', says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukrainian representatives and US negotiators have discussed ways to bring “real peace closer” during a conversation on Christmas Day.
“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “There are some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”
Earlier, we reported that the Ukrainian leader had taken part in a conversation with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and businessman Jared Kushner.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 18:30
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has appeared to wish for the death of Vladimir Putin in a Christmas message after Russia continued to bombard the country with missiles and drones.
In a video posted to X on Christmas Eve, Zelensky said that “despite all the suffering that Russia has brought, it is not capable of occupying or bombing what matters most. That is our Ukrainian heart, our faith in one another, and our unity”.
Appearing to refer to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Zelensky added: “Today, we all share one dream.
“And we make one wish – for all of us. ‘May he perish’, each of us may think to ourselves. But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater. we ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it, we pray for it, we deserve it.”
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
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In pictures: Ukrainians celebrate Christmas amid conflict with Russia
Maira Butt25 December 2025 17:30
King Charles shows support for Kyiv with Ukrainian choir as he urges Brits to embrace values of World War 2 generation
King Charles urged Brits to embrace the values of their Second World War generation as he delivered his annual Christmas address on Thursday.
“The end of the second world war is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass,” he said.
“But the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge, carry a timeless message for us all.”
While required to remain apolitical, the monarch showed clear support for Ukraine with the choice to include a performance by a Ukrainian choir, wearing traditional Ukrainian "vyshyvanka" embroidered shirts, and the London-based Royal Opera Chorus.
