President Donald Trump has said that Volodymyr Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it” ahead of long-awaited peace talks between the leaders on Sunday.
“He doesn't have anything until I approve it,” Mr Trump reportedly told Politico regarding the Ukrainian leader’s proposal in an exclusive interview. “So we'll see what he's got.”
The US leader appeared warmer about Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, saying: “I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” adding that he would speak to him “soon, as much as I want”.
Mr Zelensky confirmed that he will meet with Mr Trump on Sunday in the latest push to secure a peace deal before the New Year.
The Ukrainian president said he would travel to Mar-A-Lago to meet with the leader at his personal residence and that his peace agreement was “90 per cent ready”.
Earlier, he had hinted at progress on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, following a “really good conversation” with Mr Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on Christmas Day.
Read MoreUkraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
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
- Zelensky and Trump to hold next stage of peace talks on Sunday
- Trump says Zelensky ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’ ahead of peace talks
- Ukraine says British missiles hit Russian refinery as drone attacks spread
- Russia sees slow but steady progress in Ukraine peace talks
Zelensky ready to call referendum on Trump plan
05:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is open to putting his 20-point proposal, created during US-brokered peace talks, to a public vote if the US is not able to agree a “strong” position on the issue of territorial concessions.
He told Axios that he would be open to putting the proposal to a referendum, as long as Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in order to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold such a vote.
Recap: Ukraine's revised 20 point peace plan
04:30 , Stuti MishraUkraine unveiled the latest 20-point peace proposal brokered by the US to bring an end to the war with Russia on 25 December.
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.
What is in Zelensky's revised 20-point peace proposal?
04:00 , Maira ButtUkraine 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.
“This is a document referred to as a framework, a foundational document on ending the war, a political document between us, America, Europe, and the Russians,” Mr Zelensky said.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to 'torpedo' talks on the US plan
03:30 , Stuti MishraRussian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov was positive about latest developments over peace deal, but accused Ukraine of trying to "torpedo" talks on the US plan.
“Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Mr Ryabkov said on Russian television.
“Especially in a context where Kyiv and its sponsors – notably within the European Union, who are not in favour of an agreement – have stepped up efforts to torpedo it.”
He said the proposal drawn up with Mr Zelensky input “differs radically” from points initially drawn up by US and Russian officials in contacts in December.
“Without an adequate resolution of the problems at the origin of this crisis, it will be quite simply impossible to reach a definitive accord,” Mr Ryabkov added.
He said any deal had to “remain within the limits” fixed by Mr Trump and Russia’s president Vladimir Putin when they met in Alaska in August, or else “no accord can be reached”.
'Moscow always lies' says Zelensky as he awards military honours
03:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has issued special honours for Ukrainian military personnel as he hit out at Russian president Vladimir Putin and Moscow for “lies”.
In recent weeks Ukraine has claimed victory over significant parts of Kupiansk, a hotly contested region, but its success has been continuously denied by Russia.
“In recent weeks, I have heard partners thank us numerous times for Kupiansk – for our operation that restores faith in Ukraine and proves that Putin lies,” said Zelensky in a post on X/Twitter on Friday.
“It is clear to us that Moscow always lies; the world, however, must see at all times what is false and what is true. Our warriors know how to show the truth – know how to prove that Russia is wrong in this war, and that Ukraine’s partners are right in supporting our state and our people.”
Former Russian diplomat sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling secrets to US intelligence agencies
02:00 , Maira ButtA former Russian diplomat has been sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony after being found guilty of treason.
Arseniy Konovalov, born in 1987, was accused of selling secrets to US intelligence while on a posting to America, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.
“It was established that A S Konovalov, an employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, proactively transferred secret information to American intelligence for money,” the FSB said in a statement.
Konovalov was first detained in March 2024.
Watch: Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials say
01:00 , Maira ButtIn pictures: The aftermath of a Russian air strike in Kharkiv
00:02 , Maira Butt Russia likely placing new hypersonic missiles at former airbase in Belarus according to researchers
23:00 , Maira ButtRussia 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.
Full story:Zelensky to meet Trump for high-stakes talks in Mar-a-Lago in bid to seal peace deal by new year
22:00 , Maira ButtVolodymyr Zelensky will meet US president Donald Trump at his residence in Florida on Sunday for crucial talks amid growing optimism in Kyiv that a peace deal may be nearing completion.
The Ukrainian president announced on Friday that he would meet Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss critical stumbling blocks, including territorial disputes and security guarantees.
“This meeting is specifically for the purpose of finalising everything as much as we can,” Mr Zelensky said on Friday, adding that “a lot can be decided before the new year”.
Alex Croft reports:
Zelensky to meet Trump in Mar-a-Lago in attempt to ‘finalise’ peace deal on Sunday
Canada affirms 'commitment to Ukraine' throughout peace talks
21:00 , Maira ButtCanada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday amid ongoing peace talks to bring an end to the war with Russia, according to a statement by his office.
“The Prime Minister affirmed Canada's commitment to Ukraine throughout these negotiations and emphasised the need to maintain pressure on Russia to negotiate,” the statement said.
Trump insists Zelensky 'doesn't have anything until I approve' ahead of peace talks on Sunday
20:32 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has reasserted his dominance over peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, insisting that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky “doesn’t have anything” until the American leader approves.
“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Mr Trump told Politico. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”
About his dialogue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump added: “I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” adding that he expects to speak to him “soon, as much as I want.”
Zelensky and Trump are due to meet on Sunday, with the Ukrainian leader hinting at progress after a “good conversation” with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Key issues unresolved in US-Ukraine talks on ending Russia's war, according to Zelensky
20:00 , Maira ButtSeveral key issues remain unresolved in ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and the United States over a potential framework to end Russia’s war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week.
Speaking about a 20-point plan under discussion, Zelenskyy outlined the most difficult points, noting that Ukraine has already conveyed its position to Washington, which is expected to communicate it to Moscow.
Key issues unresolved in US-Ukraine talks on ending Russia's war, according to Zelenskyy
Russia accuses Europe of trying to 'torpedo' peace talks
19:30 , Maira ButtRussia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov accused Europe of trying to “torpedo” a peace agreement on Friday.
The comments come ahead of talks between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.
“Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said on Russian television about the deal.
“Especially in a context where Kyiv and its sponsors – notably within the European Union, who are not in favour of an agreement – have stepped up efforts to torpedo it.”
Putin's aide spoke to US officials by phone, Kremlin says
19:00 , Maira ButtRussian President Vladimir Putin instructed his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, to speak to US members of the administration after Moscow received US proposals about a possible Ukrainian peace deal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev brought paper copies of US peace proposals back to Moscow after a meeting in Miami at the weekend - and the details were being analysed by the Kremlin, Peskov said.
"The information was analysed, and on behalf of President Putin, contact took place between representatives of the administrations of Russia and the United States," Peskov said. "It was agreed to continue the dialogue."
Ukraine used British missiles to strike Russian oil refinery
18:35 , Maira ButtUkraine announced that it used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region.
Officials said that the targeted refinery was a major producer of petrol products and directly supplied the Russian Federation’s armed forces.
Kim says North Korea and Russia shared 'blood, life and death'
05:23 , Stuti MishraNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin their countries had shared “blood, life and death” in the Ukraine war, calling 2025 a “really meaningful year” for a bilateral alliance forged “in the same trench”, state media said on Saturday.
Pyongyang dispatched thousands of troops to fight for Moscow, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, as Russia presses ahead with its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. In April North Korea publicly confirmed for the first time that it had sent personnel to support Moscow’s invasion and had suffered combat deaths. Earlier this month, North Korea acknowledged deploying an engineering regiment to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region in August, with Mr Kim later saying at least nine soldiers were killed during the 120‑day mission.
Zelensky ready to call referendum on Trump plan if Russia agrees ceasefire
18:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to call a referendum on President Donald Trump’s peace plan if Russia agrees a ceasefire, the Ukrainian leader told Axios on Friday.
It comes ahead of a meeting between the US leader and Zelensky on Sunday when they will hope to agree on a proposal to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In pictures: Zelensky awards military honours to Ukrainian soldiers and families of 'fallen heroes'
17:30 , Maira Butt 'Moscow always lies' says Zelensky as he awards military honours
17:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has issued special honours for Ukrainian military personnel as he hit out at Russian president Vladimir Putin and Moscow for “lies”.
In recent weeks Ukraine has claimed victory over significant parts of Kupiansk, a hotly contested region, but its success has been continuously denied by Russia.
“In recent weeks, I have heard partners thank us numerous times for Kupiansk – for our operation that restores faith in Ukraine and proves that Putin lies,” said Zelensky in a post on X/Twitter on Friday.
“It is clear to us that Moscow always lies; the world, however, must see at all times what is false and what is true. Our warriors know how to show the truth – know how to prove that Russia is wrong in this war, and that Ukraine’s partners are right in supporting our state and our people.”
The Ukrainian leader awarded the Orders of the Golden Star and the Crosses of Military Merit to the “warriors” of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces, and presented the awards to the families of dead soldiers who were honored posthumously.
Former Russian diplomat sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling secrets to US intelligence agencies
16:30 , Maira ButtA former Russian diplomat has been sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony after being found guilty of treason.
Arseniy Konovalov, born in 1987, was accused of selling secrets to US intelligence while on a posting to America, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.
“It was established that A S Konovalov, an employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, proactively transferred secret information to American intelligence for money,” the FSB said in a statement.
Konovalov was first detained in March 2024.
Russia seeing 'slow but steady progress' in talks with US
16:00 , Shaheena UddinRussia sees “slow but steady progress” in peace talks with the United States over Ukraine, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
“In the negotiation process on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, I mean in the negotiation process with the United States, there is slow but steady progress,” she said.
Zakharova added that western European powers were trying to torpedo the progress and suggested that the United States should counter such moves.
Putin told Bush Ukraine was 'part of Russia', according to newly released transcripts
15:30 , Shaheena UddinRussian president Vladimir Putin told former US president George W Bush that Ukraine was a part of Russia, according to newly released transcripts.
The comments are said to have been made in April 2001, according to the Telegraph.
“What really happened? Soviet goodwill changed the world, voluntarily,” Putin is reported to have told Bush at a summit in Slovenia.
“And Russians gave up thousands of square kilometers of territory, voluntarily. Unheard of.”
He added: “Ukraine, part of Russia for centuries, given away. Kazakhstan, given away. The Caucasus too. Hard to imagine, and done by party bosses.”
Recap: Ukraine's revised 20 point peace plan
14:30 , Shaheena UddinUkraine unveiled the latest 20-point peace proposal brokered by the US to bring an end to the war with Russia on 25 December.
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.
Watch: Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials say
14:00 , Shaheena UddinUkrainian president Zelensky says he plans to meet Trump before the New Year
13:47 , Shaheena UddinUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he had agreed to hold a meeting with US president Donald Trump in the near future, as diplomatic efforts intensify to bring an end to Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“A lot can be decided before the New Year,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.
Rustem Umerov reported on his latest contacts with the American side. We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year. Glory to Ukraine!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 26, 2025
Ukraine used British missiles to strike Russian oil refinery
13:30 , Shaheena UddinUkraine has announced that it used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region.
Officials said that the targeted refinery was a major producer of petrol products and directly supplied the Russian Federation’s armed forces.
Separately, Ukrainian long-range drones hit oil product storage tanks in Temryuk, Krasnodar region, and a gas processing plant in Orenburg.
Russian officials confirmed that two tanks caught fire in Temryuk, with the blaze covering an area of approximately 2,000 square metres.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at progress on a peace deal following discussions with Steve Witkoff, an envoy for US President Donald Trump.
Ukraine uses British missiles to strike Russian oil refinery
Watch: 'May he perish' says Zelensky in Christmas address
13:00 , Shaheena UddinAppearing 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.”
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Putin's aide spoke to US officials by phone, Kremlin says
12:30 , Shaheena UddinRussian President Vladimir Putin instructed his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, to speak to US members of the administration after Moscow received US. proposals about a possible Ukrainian peace deal, the Kremlin said.
It was agreed with the US to continue talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev brought paper copies of US peace proposals back to Moscow after a meeting in Miami at the weekend - and the details were being analysed by the Kremlin, Peskov said.
"The information was analysed, and on behalf of President Putin, contact took place between representatives of the administrations of Russia and the United States," Peskov said. "It was agreed to continue the dialogue."
Watch: Zelensky shared an update on his discussions with US envoys
12:00 , Shaheena UddinIn a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Christmas yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke to US President Trump’s envoys.
“We have some new ideas in terms of formats, meetings and of course, timing on how to bring a real peace closer.”
It is important if we succeed in organizing what we discussed today with President Trump’s envoys. Some documents, as I see it, are nearly ready, and some documents are fully prepared. Of course, there is still work to be done on sensitive issues. But together with the American… pic.twitter.com/kCmrNOaQBQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 25, 2025
One killed and three injured by Russian aerial bomb attack
11:32 , Shaheena UddinOne person was killed and three others wounded when a guided aerial bomb struck a house in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, local officials said.
Russian drone attacks on the city of Mykolaiv and its suburbs overnight into Friday left part of the city without power. Energy and port infrastructure were also damaged by drones in the city of Odesa on the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it hit a major Russian oil refinery Thursday using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported its forces struck the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region. “Multiple explosions were recorded. The target was hit,” it wrote on Telegram.
A firefighter was wounded when extinguishing the fire, according to Yuri Slyusar of the Rostov regional government in Russia.
Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion.
Kyiv officials accused of Russia of trying to “weaponise winter” by attempting to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water.
Deputy Russian PM delays arms export to prioritise its armed forces, Ifax reports
11:00 , Shaheena UddinRussian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said that Russia was "somewhat" delaying exports of weapons and military equipment to prioritise deliveries to its own armed forces, Interfax reported him saying on Friday.
What is Zelensky hoping to discuss with Trump?
10:28 , Shaheena UddinUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that sensitive issues, including any territorial compromises should be discussed by the heads of state, as Kyiv has been seeking a face-to-face meeting with Trump.
This signals progress in talks to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that he would consider withdrawing troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland, as part of a peace plan, if Moscow promised to also pull back and demilitarise the region zone so that it is monitored by international forces.
Russia has given no indication that it will agree to any kind of withdrawal from land it has seized.
Although, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that there had been “slow but steady progress” in the peace talks.
Trump to meet Zelensky in Mar-A-Lago on Sunday - report
10:06 , Daniel KeanePresident Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, according to a report.
Axios reported that the pair would meet at Mar-A-Lago in Florida in a fresh push to secure a peace agreement before the New Year.
Russian forces shot down seven Storm Shadow missiles during past week
10:05 , Shaheena UddinDuring the past week, the Russian defence ministry said they shot down seven Storm Shadow missiles, according to Russian news agencies.
Russian troops gained control of the settlement of of Kosivstseve in the Zaporizhzhia region in eastern Ukraine.
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
09:15 , Shaheena UddinA Russian court sentenced a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism to six years in prison on Thursday.
Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin, who is also affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year.
According to Russian independent news site Mediazona, the charges against him stem from an article Udaltsov posted online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation.
Those activists were handed sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison after being convicted earlier this month.
Udaltsov has rejected the charges against him as fabricated. On Thursday, he denounced the verdict as “shameful” and said he was going on a hunger strike, Mediazona reported.
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
Putin open to territory swap in Ukraine deal, Kommersant says
08:45 , Shaheena UddinRussian President Vladimir Putin said he may be open to swapping some Russian controlled territory in Ukraine in exchange for the whole of Donbas, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
Putin briefed top businessmen on the details of the plan at a late evening Kremlin meeting on December 24.
"Vladimir Putin asserted that the Russian side is still ready to make the concessions that he made in Anchorage. In other words, that 'Donbas is ours,'" Kommersant reported.
In essence, Putin wants the whole of Donbas but outside that area "a partial exchange of territories from the Russian side is not ruled out," Kolesnikov wrote in the newspaper.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has said the US and Ukraine are closer to finalising their 20-point plan, but cannot agree on demands that Ukraine cede the parts of Donbas that it still controls.
The future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine is particularly contentious, as it is currently controlled by Russian forces and is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, among the ten largest in the world.
Russian drones damage foreign-flagged vessels, Ukraine says
08:14 , Shaheena UddinUkraine's deputy prime minister said on Friday that Russian overnight drone attacks damaged Slovakia-, Palau- and Liberia-flagged vessels in ports in Ukraine's Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Ukrainian officials said Moscow aimed to isolate Ukraine from the Black Sea and divide civilians.
There were no casualties following Friday’s attacks, according to a statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, on the Telegram app. However the strikes did cause power cuts and damage elevators and civilian warehouses in the Odesa region.
The drones also caused damage to a locomotive and a freight car at the northwestern Kovel railway station, around 60 kilometres (37.28 miles) from Poland.
"Despite Russia's deliberate terror, Ukraine's logistics system continues to function," Kuleba said.
Russia did comment on the issue.
Ukrainian president Zelensky says he plans to meet Trump soon
07:30 , Namita SinghUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he had agreed to hold a meeting with US president Donald Trump in the near future, as diplomatic efforts intensify to bring an end to Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“A lot can be decided before the New Year,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.
Rustem Umerov reported on his latest contacts with the American side. We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year. Glory to Ukraine!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 26, 2025
Ukraine president Zelensky's cryptic Christmas wish for Putin
07:00 , Namita SinghVolodymyr Zelensky has appeared to wish for the death of Vladimir Putin in a Christmas message after Russia continued to bombard Ukraine with missiles and drones.
In a video posted to X on Christmas Eve, Mr 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, Mr 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.”
Report:
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Russia sees slow but steady progress in Ukraine peace talks
06:30 , Namita SinghRussia sees “slow but steady progress” in peace talks with the United States over Ukraine, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
“In the negotiation process on a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, I mean in the negotiation process with the United States, there is slow but steady progress,” she said.
Zakharova added that western European powers were trying to torpedo the progress and suggested that the United States should counter such moves.
Zelensky holds 'really good' Christmas Day peace talks with Trump envoys
06:00 , Namita SinghUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he spoke on Thursday for about an hour with US president Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner about how to end the war with Russia.
“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas that we discussed. There are some new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and this concerns formats, meetings and, certainly, the timeline,” Zelensky said on the Telegram app.
Trump has been pushing for a deal to end the nearly four-year-long war, and in recent weeks peace efforts led by Witkoff and Kushner have been slowly inching forward.
Earlier this week, Zelensky presented a 20-point draft peace plan that he described as the main framework for ending the war.
The draft is a slimmed-down version of an earlier 28-point plan that the United States previously discussed with Russia and that was widely seen as favouring Moscow, including demands that Kyiv cede territory and limit its armed forces.
However, key territorial issues remain unresolved in the new 20-point draft, Zelensky said, adding that a meeting with Trump would be required to resolve the most sensitive questions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow was analysing documents on ending the war that were brought to Russia by its special envoy Kirill Dmitriev from the United States.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, planned to hold another conversation with US negotiators later in the day.
“We are truly working 24/7 to bring closer the end of this brutal Russian war against Ukraine and to ensure that all documents and steps are realistic, effective and reliable,” he said.
Watch: 'May he perish' says Zelensky in Christmas address
05:30 , Maira ButtAppearing 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.”
Russian court sentences opposition leader and Putin critic to six years in prison
05:15 , Namita SinghA court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of president Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison.
Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year.
According to Russian independent news site Mediazona, the charges against him stem from an article Udaltsov posted online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Those activists were convicted earlier this month and handed sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison.
Udaltsov has rejected the charges against him as fabricated. On Thursday, he denounced the verdict as "shameful" and said he was going on a hunger strike, Mediazona reported.
According to the court ruling, the activist will be serving his sentence in a maximum security penal colony.Udaltsov was a prominent opposition figure during the 2011-12 mass protests in Russia, triggered by reports of widespread rigging of a parliamentary election. In February 2012, he took part in a meeting that then-president Dmitry Medvedev held with various opposition figures.
Russian authorities have ramped up their crackdown on dissent and free speech after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, relentlessly targeting rights groups, independent media, members of civil society organisations, LGBTQ+ activists and some religious groups. Hundreds of people have been jailed and thousands of others have fled the country.
In December 2023, a Moscow court sentenced Udaltsov to 40 hours of compulsory labor for violating procedures relating to organising a rally after he was detained on Red Square, where he tried to unfurl a flag with the image of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, according to Russia's state news agency Tass.
Udaltsov was previously imprisoned in 2014 and sentenced to 4 years on charges related to his role in organising a 2012 demonstration against Putin that turned turbulent. He was released in 2017.
Zelensky hints at progress in peace talks after 'really good' conversation with Witkoff
05:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian 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.
Poland intercepts Russian plane over Baltic, reports airspace breaches from Belarus
04:45 , Namita SinghPoland scrambled fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near its airspace over the Baltic Sea and said dozens of objects entered its airspace from Belarus overnight, warning the incidents during the holiday period could amount to a provocation.
“Earlier today, over international waters in the Baltic Sea, Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified and escorted out of their area of responsibility a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near the borders of Polish airspace,” the Polish army said yesterday.
Countries on Nato’s eastern flank have remained on heightened alert for potential airspace violations since September, when three Russian military aircraft breached Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes, days after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace.
Poland’s National Security Bureau said several dozen objects crossed into Polish airspace from the Belarusian side, with four so far identified as likely smuggling balloons.
“The mass nature of the airspace violations, their occurrence during the holiday season, the assessment of the Russian aircraft’s activity in the Baltic Sea, and similar incidents recently recorded in Lithuania may indicate a provocation disguised as a smuggling operation,” it said.
The Belarusian and Russian embassies in Warsaw did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
04:30 , Maira ButtA Russian court sentenced a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism to six years in prison on Thursday.
Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin, who is also affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year.
According to Russian independent news site Mediazona, the charges against him stem from an article Udaltsov posted online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation.
Those activists were handed sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison after being convicted earlier this month.
Udaltsov has rejected the charges against him as fabricated. On Thursday, he denounced the verdict as “shameful” and said he was going on a hunger strike, Mediazona reported.
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
Putin told Bush Ukraine was 'part of Russia', according to newly released transcripts
04:00 , Maira ButtRussian president Vladimir Putin told former US president George W Bush that Ukraine was a part of Russia, according to newly released transcripts.
The comments are said to have been made in April 2001, according to the Telegraph.
“What really happened? Soviet goodwill changed the world, voluntarily,” Putin is reported to have told Bush at a summit in Slovenia.
“And Russians gave up thousands of square kilometers of territory, voluntarily. Unheard of.”
He added: “Ukraine, part of Russia for centuries, given away. Kazakhstan, given away. The Caucasus too. Hard to imagine, and done by party bosses.”