Volodymyr Zelensky said a devastating drone attack on Kyiv by Russian forces showed Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want peace” ahead of crunch talks with his US counterpart Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian president and US leader will meet in Florida on Sunday to continue peace talks after Mr Zelensky said a peace agreement was “90 per cent ready”.
About a third of Ukraine’s capital was left without heat in sub-zero weather conditions on Saturday after Moscow’s air force launched almost 500 drones, largely shaheds, and 40 missiles in a large air strike. The air force said Russian drones were targeting the capital and regions in the North East and the South.
Speaking to reporters en route to the US, Mr Zelensky said the strikes showed Mr Putin’s true attitude to the peace talks.
Before the overnight attacks, Mr Zelensky said his talks in Florida would focus on the territory to be controlled by each side after a halt to the fighting.
However, Mr Trump said Mr Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it”.
“So we'll see what he's got,” Trump told Politico.
Read MoreZelensky to meet Trump for high-stakes talks in Mar-a-Lago in bid to seal peace deal by new year
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Zelensky open to withdrawing troops for demilitarised zone in Ukraine in new peace plan
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
Key Points
- Putin says Russia will achieve Ukraine aims by force if Kyiv does not want peace
- Zelensky and Trump to hold next stage of peace talks on Sunday
- Ukraine 'in no hurry' to end conflict peacefully, Putin says
- Lavrov says European troops in Ukraine would be legitimate targets
- Key details about latest Ukraine peace deal – and the main hurdles Russia keeps putting in the way
- EU support for Ukraine 'will not falter', chief says
Zelensky meets Trump for peace talks: what to know
06:30 , Stuti Mishra- Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are meeting in Florida on Sunday for talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
- Zelensky has said security guarantees and territorial issues in eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, will be central to the discussions.
- He said a draft peace plan includes US-backed security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5, while Ukraine continues to reject Russian demands to give up territory.
- A day before the talks, Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, killing at least one person. Zelensky said the attack showed Moscow “doesn’t want peace”.
- European leaders, including UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron, have said any ceasefire must include international monitoring, a move Russia opposes.
- Zelensky said the peace plan is “about 90 per cent ready” and that he hopes European leaders can be involved in talks at a later stage.
Putin says Russia will achieve Ukraine aims by force if Kyiv does not want peace
06:00 , Stuti MishraRussian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace and that if it did not want to resolve the conflict peacefully, Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force.
Putin’s remarks, carried by state news agency TASS yesterday, followed a large Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was demonstrating its wish to continue the war while Kyiv wanted peace.
Zelensky is due to meet US president Donald Trump in Florida today to seek a resolution to the war Putin launched nearly four years ago with a full-scale invasion of Russia’s smaller neighbour.
Lavrov says European troops in Ukraine would be legitimate targets
05:30 , Stuti MishraRussia would consider any European troop contingents deployed to Ukraine as legitimate targets for its armed forces, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said.
In remarks published by Russia’s state news agency TASS on Sunday, Lavrov said any European troops sent to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for Russia’s armed forces.
Lavrov also accused European politicians of being driven by “ambitions” in their relations with Kyiv and of disregarding the people of Ukraine and of their own nations.
Zelensky to hold talks with European leaders after Trump meeting
05:00 , Stuti MishraUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he would hold talks with European leaders after meeting US president Donald Trump today, as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its diplomatic position to prevent Russia from prolonging the war.
Zelensky said he had already spoken with a group of Ukraine’s partners to coordinate priorities ahead of the discussions.
“Tomorrow, after the meeting with President Trump, we will continue the discussion,” he said in a post on Telegram.
Russia likely placing new hypersonic missiles at former airbase in Belarus according to researchers
04:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia is likely to be placing new hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in Belarus, according to Reuters.
Two US researchers discovered the possibility using satellite imagery and broadly aligns with the findings of US intelligence, according to a source close to the matter.
President Vladimir Putin has previously stated his intention to place intermediate-range Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, but the exact location has not been reported previously.
The missiles have an estimated range of up to 3,400 miles (5,500 km).
Belarusian defence minister Viktor Khreni said on Wednesday that the deployment was a “response” to the “West’s aggression”, in an interview with state-run news agency Belta.
Watch: Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials say
04:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneZelensky says he is aiming for 'as few unresolved issues as possible' in talks with Trump
03:34 , Stuti MishraDonald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are set to meet in Florida today for face-to-face talks on ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelensky said security guarantees and territorial issues in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions would be among the topics of discussion.
Zelensky stopped in Canada to meet prime minister Mark Carney yesterday before heading to the US.
He told reporters he would aim to ensure there were "as few unresolved issues as possible" in talks with his US counterpart Trump, while respecting Ukraine's red lines.
Zelensky has said the draft peace plan includes a US commitment to provide guarantees mirroring the Nato alliance's Article 5, which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies.
But key details are still to be worked out, with territorial concessions the most sensitive of the issues the two leaders will discuss.
ICYMI: Zelensky prepares for crucial peace talks with Trump
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Zelensky prepares for peace talks with Trump as Putin bombards Kyiv with drones
‘I was a British PoW tortured by Russia; this is how Ukraine and the West can win this war’
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneCaptured and sentenced to death by Russia, tortured and a witness to war crimes, a young man from Nottingham spent months waiting for the executioner in a Russian prison, unable to cry.
“I so desperately wanted to, I was trying to force myself to let some emotion out,” he recalls. “But because I was too terrified in that place, I wasn’t able to cry. In five-and-a-half months of captivity, I never cried once. There was moments where I wanted to, but I just physically couldn’t.”
This is Aiden Aslin, a survivor of Russian war crimes himself, speaking to The Independent’s World of Trouble podcast.
If you want to find out more, you can below:
‘I was a British PoW tortured by Russia; this is how Ukraine can win this war’
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites could be targeted by new Russian weapon, Nato warns
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites could be targeted by new Russian weapon, Nato warns
What is in the 20-point peace proposal under discussion?
00:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVolodymyr Zelensky is travelling to the US ahead of crunch peace talks with Donald Trump on Sunday.
The pair will discuss a 20-point peace plan that could give Ukraine the security and territorial guarantees it needs to push for an end to the conflict with Russia.
But any agreement needs to be agreed by Moscow, who have not yet commented on many parts of the plan.
The Independent’s Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more below:
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
Zelensky will hold talks with European leaders after Trump discussions
Saturday 27 December 2025 23:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVolodymyr Zelensky has said he will hold talks with European leaders following his peace negotiations with Donald Trump on Sunday.
In a social media post, he shared pictures from a meeting with Canadian president Mark Carney and a number of other European leaders, adding he would update them all following crunch conversations with President Trump.
Russian submarine spotted in British waters, defence sources say
Saturday 27 December 2025 23:34 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian submarines are shadowing spy ships in British waters, according to reports in the Sunday Times.
It says defence sources have revealed that a submarine was found shadowing the Yantar, a Russian vessel officially described as a research ship, as it surveyed a gas pipeline linking Britain and Ireland last year.
It is understood to be one of several occasions where Russian submarines have been alongside the Yantar in British waters.
Watch: Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Saturday 27 December 2025 23:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKey details about latest Ukraine peace deal – and the main hurdles Russia keeps putting in the way
Saturday 27 December 2025 22:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneCrucial peace talks are set to take place between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the US on Sunday.
It comes after months of back-and-forth discussions between Kyiv, Washington, Moscow, and Brussels, as world leaders attempt to broker a deal that would bring the nearly four-year conflict between Ukraine and Russia to an end.
But what are the hurdles standing in the way? James C. Reynolds reports:
Key details about latest Ukraine peace deal – and Russia’s objections
Editorial: Zelensky still has cards to play in Trump’s Ukraine poker game
Saturday 27 December 2025 22:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Zelensky still has cards to play in Trump’s Ukraine poker game
EU support for Ukraine 'will not falter', EU chief says
Saturday 27 December 2025 21:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEuropean Union support for Ukraine “will not falter”, an EU chief has said ahead of crucial peace talks between the US and Kyiv.
In a post on X, European Council president Antonio Costa wrote: “Together with European leaders I spoke with President @ZelenskyyUa, in order to coordinate ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with President Trump.
“The EU’s support for Ukraine will not falter. In war, in peace, in reconstruction.”
He added: “A strong and prosperous Ukraine in the EU is a core security guarantee.
“We continue to work for a robust and lasting peace for Ukraine, in close cooperation with our US partners.”
Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defence
Saturday 27 December 2025 21:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defence
Zelensky open to withdrawing troops for demilitarised zone in Ukraine in new peace plan
Saturday 27 December 2025 20:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian 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.
As he prepares for a fresh round of peace talks 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 Independent’s Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more:
Zelensky open to withdrawing troops for demilitarised zone in new peace plan
In pictures: Kyiv buildings reduced to rubble by Russian strikes
Saturday 27 December 2025 20:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Power returned to 50,000 homes in Kyiv, energy provider says
Saturday 27 December 2025 19:30 , Nicole Wootton-CanePower has been restored to 50,000 homes in the Kyiv region after Russian strikes damaged infrastructure and left half a million families in the dark, according to Ukraine’s energy provider.
In a statement on Telegram, DTEK Group said Russia had caused “serious damage” in the region that will “take time” to repair.
It added emergency power outages continue in the Brovary, Boryspil, and Vyshgorod districts of the Kyiv region.
Russian forces capture towns in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk, Kremlin says
Saturday 27 December 2025 19:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian forces have captured one town in the Donetsk region and one in Zaporizhzhia, the Kremlin has said.
In a post on Telegram, Russian forces showed President Vladimir Putin inspecting a commanding post.
It added Russian soldiers had reportedly taken the town of Myrnohrad in Ukraine's Donetsk region, as well as Huliaipole in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
Both are heavily contested areas key to Russia’s territorial ambitions.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Ukraine 'in no hurry' to end conflict peacefully, Putin says
Saturday 27 December 2025 18:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian president Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukraine are in “no hurry” to end the ongoing conflict peacefully.
It comes as his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky travels to the US for peace talks with Donald Trump.
Mr Putin said that if Ukraine didn't want to resolve the conflict peacefully then Russia would resolve all goals of its "special military operation" by force, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Saturday.
Zelensky arrives in Canada for meeting with prime minister
Saturday 27 December 2025 18:33 , Nicole Wootton-CanePresident Zelensky has arrived in Canada for a meeting with prime minister Mark Carney.
It comes as Mr Carney pledged an additional $2.5bn of economic aid for Ukraine in a bid to help the country unlock funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Mr Carney will then host a call with some of Ukraine's key allies, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy before Mr Zelensky heads to the US, where he will meet President Trump tomorrow.
Canada to provide $2.5 billion in economic aid for Ukraine, prime minister says
Saturday 27 December 2025 18:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneCanadian prime minister Mark Carney has announced an additional $2.5bn of economic aid for Ukraine.
The assistance, unveiled on Saturday, will help Ukraine unlock financing from the International Monetary Fund, Mr Carney said during an appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Key details on Ukraine's security yet to be worked out, Zelensky says
Saturday 27 December 2025 17:50 , Nicole Wootton-CanePresident Volodymyr Zelensky has been speaking to reporters ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump on Sunday.
He said he would aim to ensure there were "as few unresolved issues as possible " in talks with Mr Trump while respecting Ukraine's red lines.
"I am confident there are compromise proposals — we know the Americans — and, obviously, our enemy also always has its own goals, which we know well," he said, speaking by audio note in a Whatsapp chat with journalists.
Mr Zelensky said he would prioritise discussing security guarantees for Ukraine.
He has said that in the draft peace plan, the US has committed to providing guarantees that mirror the NATO alliance's Article 5, which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies, but that key details must be worked out in a bilateral agreement.
Mr Zelensky also reiterated that Ukraine would never recognise any territory as Russian "under any circumstances."
"But the most important issue I want to stress today is security guarantees,” he said.
“Beyond territorial issues and the ZNPP (nuclear plant), security guarantees are critically important for us.”
Watch: Zelensky says he will meet Trump on Sunday for talks on Ukraine security
Saturday 27 December 2025 17:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUS ambassador brands Russian strikes as 'terrorism'
Saturday 27 December 2025 17:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkraine’s US ambassador has blasted Russian strikes on the country as “terrorism” ahead of key talks between President Trump and Zelensky.
In a post on X, Olga Stefanishyna shared a map depicting the tracking of Russian strikes on Kyiv, as well as pictures of the subsequent destruction.
“Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv that lasted through both night and day,” she wrote.
“Residential buildings and vital infrastructure were hit. Russia is magnifying the scale of its attacks, taking advantage of the cold to devastate civilians.
“This is not a war — it is terrorism.”
Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv that lasted through both night and day. Residential buildings and vital infrastructure were hit. Russia is magnifying the scale of its attacks, taking advantage of the cold to devastate civilians. This is not a war — it is terrorism. pic.twitter.com/GNSao80XNi
— Olga Stefanishyna (@StefanishynaO) December 27, 2025
Zelensky flies to Florida for crucial peace talks with Trump after Putin pounds Kyiv with drones and missiles
Saturday 27 December 2025 17:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVolodymyr Zelensky has boarded a plane ahead of his meeting with US president Donald Trump for more crucial talks as Vladimir Putin continues to apply pressure with an overnight bombardment.
Russia launched almost 500 drones and 40 missiles targeting Kyiv and regions in the North East and the South. It was the second brutal air strike on Ukraine in less than a week, after Moscow launched 587 drones and 34 missiles on Tuesday.
The Independent’s Bryony Gooch has the full story below:
Zelensky travels for peace talks with Trump as Putin bombards Kyiv with drones
Russia downs 111 Ukrainian drones in three hours, defence ministry says
Saturday 27 December 2025 16:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMoscow’s defence ministry says it has shot down 111 Ukrainian drones over the last three hours.
The drones were intercepted and shot down over six Russian regions, including Moscow, it added.
The capital's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said another batch of 11 drones were also later shot down en route to the city.
Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said that Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports had imposed temporary restrictions on airspace due to security reasons.
Ukraine reconstruction could cost $800bn, Zelensky says
Saturday 27 December 2025 16:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is working with the United States on a “roadmap to prosperity” that looks as far ahead as 2040.
In a post on X, President Zelensky said current estimates suggest reconstruction at the point of any peace deal will cost $700-800bn.
“We are working with the United States on the roadmap for Ukraine’s prosperity,” he wrote.
“Our vision, together with the United States, extends to 2040, covering the key elements of an agreement on investment and future prosperity.”
We are working with the United States on the roadmap for Ukraine’s prosperity. Our vision, together with the United States, extends to 2040, covering the key elements of an agreement on investment and future prosperity.
The main aspects and directions are our national goals,…
ICYMI: Today's headlines from Ukraine
Saturday 27 December 2025 16:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneGood afternoon. Here is a recap of today’s headlines from Ukraine:
• Russia attacked Ukraine with nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles overnight, targeting energy and civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian resident Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
• Over 2,600 residential buildings, 187 nurseries and 138 schools in Kyiv have been left without heat due to the strike.
• Two children were among those injured in the attack.
• It comes ahead of peace talks between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky set to take place on Sunday.
Pictured: Ukrainian air defence firing at drones during a Russian drones and missiles attack
Saturday 27 December 2025 16:00 , Bryony Gooch Russia wants to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
Saturday 27 December 2025 15:40 , Bryony Gooch Russia plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
Russian air defence forces shoot down eight drones heading for Moscow
Saturday 27 December 2025 15:20 , Bryony GoochRussian air defence forces shot down eight drones headed for Moscow, the city's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Saturday.
Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said that Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports had imposed temporary restrictions on airspace due to security reasons.
The role the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station will play in peace
Saturday 27 December 2025 15:04 , Bryony GoochA critical point in the peace plan will involve control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest, which was seized by Russia in the opening weeks of the war.
Moscow is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the areas of the eastern region of Donetsk that Russian troops have failed to occupy in their drive to secure all of the Donbas, which also includes the Luhansk region.
Kyiv, however, wants the fighting halted at the current lines.
Under a US compromise, a free economic zone would be set up if Ukrainian troops pull back from parts of the Donetsk region, though details have yet to be worked out.
Axios quoted Zelensky as saying that if he is not able to push the US to back Ukraine's position on the land issue, he was willing to put the 20-point plan to a referendum - as long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire allowing Ukraine to prepare for and hold the vote.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Kyiv's version of the 20-point plan differed from what Russia had been discussing with the U.S., according to the Interfax-Russia news agency.
But he expressed optimism that matters had reached a "turning point" in the search for a settlement.
Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, spoke with members of the Trump administration after Moscow received US proposals about a possible peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday. It did not disclose how Moscow had viewed the documents.
In pictures: Resident removes debris at the site of an apartment building which was hit by a Russian drone strike
Saturday 27 December 2025 14:47 , Bryony Gooch Historic loan arranged to fund defence industry
Saturday 27 December 2025 14:33 , Bryony GoochSix Ukrainian banks entered into the largest consortium loan agreement in Ukraine’s financial market history in order to finance the defence industry on Friday.
The loan amounts to 21.5 billion hryvnia, with a three-year term under state guarantees.
Banks from both the public and private sectors united to finance one of Ukraine’s defence industry enterprises with a state-owned bank acting as the lead arranger of the consortium loan.
The implementation of the agreement opens new opportunities to scale up and modernise production within the defence industry.
The defence minister said: “Financing the defence industry is one of the key pillars of state resilience during wartime. The Ministry of Defence spent more than four months working with the National Bank of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance, and the banking sector to create the conditions needed to implement this consortium.
“The scale of the consortium demonstrates banks’ readiness to support the defense industry and strengthen the country’s defense capability. This means more Ukrainian-made weapons for our defenders. We continue to consistently implement initiatives to equip the Ukrainian military with modern weaponry. We count on continued support from the banking sector.”
Territorial control remains diplomatic stumbling block as Zelensky to meet Trump
Saturday 27 December 2025 14:11 , Bryony GoochTerritory remains the main diplomatic stumbling block, though Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv on Friday that a 20-point draft document - the cornerstone of a US push to clinch a peace deal - is 90% complete.
He said a security guarantee agreement between Ukraine and the US was almost ready - a critical element after guarantees in earlier post-Soviet years proved meaningless.
"A lot can be decided before the New Year," Zelensky posted on social media.
Trump said the United States was the driving force behind the process.
"He doesn't have anything until I approve it," Trump told Politico. "So we'll see what he's got."
Before their meeting, Zelensky will have a call on Saturday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders, a Commission spokesperson said.
Zelensky told Axios the US had offered a 15-year deal on security guarantees, subject to renewal, but Kyiv wanted a longer agreement with legally binding provisions to guard against further Russian aggression.
Trump said he believed Sunday's meeting would go well. He also said he expected to speak with Putin "soon, as much as I want."
Recap: Starmer stresses support for Ukraine ahead of Trump-Zelensky talks
Saturday 27 December 2025 13:51 , Bryony GoochTalks on Ukraine should progress towards a “just and lasting peace”, Sir Keir Starmer has told European leaders, as Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to meet US president Donald Trump.
In a call with German and French leaders on Friday, the Prime Minister said it remained “a crucial moment for Ukraine and security across the Euro-Atlantic region” as they emphasised their “unwavering commitment” to Ukraine.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the leaders “reiterated their unshakeable commitment for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the importance that talks continue to progress towards this in the coming days”.
Zelensky to meet Trump in Mar-a-Lago to ‘finalise’ peace deal
Saturday 27 December 2025 12:40 , Bryony Gooch Zelensky to meet Trump in Mar-a-Lago in attempt to ‘finalise’ peace deal on Sunday
On his way to the US, Zelensky hopes compromise can be found
Saturday 27 December 2025 12:20 , Bryony GoochUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he was on his way to the US for talks with president Donald Trump in Florida, where he said he hoped to find a compromise over a peace framework to end Russia's war.
In audio messages sent to reporters, Zelensky said security guarantees offered by Washington were key to ensuring peace, and that the extent of those guarantees depended on what Trump was willing to offer.
Recap: Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
Saturday 27 December 2025 12:00 , Bryony Gooch Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
Zelensky talks 'red lines' for Ukraine in peace process as he goes to US
Saturday 27 December 2025 11:45 , Bryony GoochAhead of his meeting with US president Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine has its “red lines” but is sure compromise can be found as he aims to discuss security guarantees and territorial issues in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.
He continued that Ukraine would need more air defence missiles as Russia continues to bombard the country with missiles and drones - the latest attack involving almost 500 drones and 40 missiles, just days after a 600-strong drone and missile attack from Moscow.
He added Ukraine could not have a referendum under the current security conditions and strong security guarantees were needed to facilitate democratic process.
Two children among the injured in Russia's latest attack on Kyiv
Saturday 27 December 2025 11:32 , Bryony GoochAt least 10 residential buildings were damaged in the attack on Ukraine, said interior minister Ihor Klymenko, and people are being evacuated from under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Two children were among those injured in the attack, which local officials said affected seven locations across the city of Kyiv.
Watch: Zelensky plans Mar-a-Lago meet for crucial talks with Trump
Saturday 27 December 2025 11:17 , Bryony GoochZelensky on plane to US to discuss security guarantees
Saturday 27 December 2025 10:58 , Bryony GoochVolodymyr Zelensky has said he is on a plane to the US to meet with Donald Trump.
He will stop in Canada to meet close ally prime minister Mark Carney.
Zelensky will discuss security guarantees and territorial issues in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions in an effort to end the war.
What issues surround the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant? A key sticking point in Trump's peace plan
Saturday 27 December 2025 10:39 , Bryony GoochThe Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, is one of the main sticking points in US president Donald Trump's peace plan to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. The issue is one of 20 points laid out by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a framework peace proposal.
The plant is located in Enerhodar on the banks of the Dnipro River and the Kakhovka Reservoir, 550 km (342 miles) southeast of the capital Kyiv.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six Soviet-designed reactors. They were all built in the 1980s, although the sixth only came online in the mid-1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has a total capacity of 5.7 gigawatts, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) database.
Four of the six reactors no longer use Russian nuclear fuel, having switched to fuel produced by then-US nuclear equipment supplier Westinghouse.
After Russia took control of the station, it shut down five of its six reactors and the last reactor ceased to produce electricity in September 2022. Rosatom said in 2025 that it was ready to return the U.S. fuel to the United States.
According to the Russian management of the plant, all six reactors are in "cold shutdown."
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of striking the nuclear plant and of severing power lines to the plant.
The plant's equipment is powered by electricity supplied from Ukraine. Over the past four years these supplies have been interrupted at least eleven times due to breaks in power lines, forcing the plant to switch to emergency diesel generators.
Emergency generators on site can supply electricity to keep the reactors cool if external power lines are cut.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says that fighting a war around a nuclear plant has put nuclear safety and security in constant jeopardy.
'Shaheds' speak for Russia in response to peace talks, says Zelensky
Saturday 27 December 2025 10:19 , Bryony GoochDrones are Russia’s response to proposals to end the war, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has said following a huge barrage of missiles and drones overnight on Kyiv.
Taking to social media, he said: “There have been many questions over the past few days – so where is Russia’s response to the proposals to end the war offered by the United States and the world?
“Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals and ‘shaheds’ speak for them. This is the true attitude of Putin and his inner circle.
“They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering and increase their pressure on others around the world.”
Another Russian attack is still ongoing: since last night, there have been almost 500 drones – a large number of “shaheds” – as well as 40 missiles, including Kinzhals. The primary target is Kyiv – energy facilities and civilian infrastructure. Regrettably, there have been hits,… pic.twitter.com/OxBntAUgla
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 27, 2025