Moscow has poured doubt on Donald Trump’s assertion that Vladimir Putin is “making concessions” as Ukraine agreed to a peace proposal in principle.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was “premature” to say whether a peace deal was close as Trump insisted his negotiators were making progress in discussions with both sides.
Trump had assured that Russia was cooperating, offering “a promise to stop fighting”, after Ukraine was forced to weigh monumental concessions presented in draft.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that the talks with the US in Abu Dhabi this week did not discuss peace terms at all. He said they still require “serious analysis”.
Moscow is now looking to receive US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss a possible end to the war as soon as next week, after Trump waived his Thursday deadline for Ukraine to agree terms.
Ukraine and US agree ‘essence’ of peace deal as Trump says ‘we’re getting very close’
How Trump’s ‘drone guy’ has become key figure in Ukraine peace talks
Ukraine has shown the US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
This is what Europe must do to call Putin’s bluff on Ukraine
Key Points
- Trump says Ukraine peace plan proposal 'fine-tuned'
- Trump's envoy Witkoff in Moscow next week for peace talks, says Kremlin
- Ukraine destroys Russian laser aircraft in successful strikes on bases
- Ukraine must cede land for peace deal, Witkoff reportedly told Kremlin
- Kremlin 'to reject peace plan' and extend war until Christmas
- How Witkoff told Russians to pitch to Trump: 'Real peace man'
Where do things stand?
13:00 , James Reynolds- The Trump administration shared a 28-point peace plan last week seen to favour Russia. Trump subsequently gave Ukraine a deadline of this Thursday, 27 November, to agree to a deal.
- Europe rallied around Ukraine, offering a revised version based on Trump’s plan, more balanced towards Ukraine’s concerns around security.
- Trump has since waived his Thursday deadline.
- People briefed on talks between Ukraine and the US in Geneva said the 28 points had been whittled down to 19 on Monday.
- Ukraine said it had agreed to a deal in principle on Tuesday. There are still some fine details to address, Kyiv has signalled.
- Russia will still have to agree to any deal, and says the US draft is the only proposal with legs.
- US officials met with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday ostensibly for peace talks - but a Kremlin aide said the peace plan did not come up.
As Zelensky heads to Washington DC, could a Ukraine peace deal be in reach?
12:28 , James ReynoldsIs this latest meeting a sign of Trump’s impatience, or could an outline agreement really be close? Sean O’Grady looks at the prospects:
As Zelensky heads to Washington DC, could a Ukraine peace deal be in reach?
Russia rejects Trump's claim on 'concessions'
12:00 , James ReynoldsRussia outright rejected Donald Trump’s claims that it was making concessions on a Ukraine peace deal on Wednesday in a staggering setback for diplomacy.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said that there are no concessions from Russia on key issues on a Ukraine settlement.
Trump had earlier assured that progress was being made as Russia was “making concessions”, left unspecified.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that parts of the latest offer seemed “positive” but still needed analysis.
He said Russia had not yet discussed it with anyone.
The United States and Europe have spent days trying to finesse a peace deal, with Kyiv agreeing to a proposal in principle on Tuesday.
France arrests four people, including two Russians, suspected of espionage
11:33 , James ReynoldsFrench police have arrested four people, two of whom have Russian nationality, on suspicion of spying for a foreign power.
Officials identified one of the individuals as Anna N, a dual French-Russian national who has been under the surveillance of France's DGSI domestic intelligence agency since January.
She was suspected of having approached executives at French companies to obtain information about French economic interests, they said.
Putin cannot leave Ukraine war successfully, German chancellor says
11:02 , James ReynoldsRussian President Vladimir Putin must accept he has no option to leave the war in Ukraine successfully, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday.
"We want this war to end as quickly as possible," Merz said in the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
"But an agreement negotiated between great powers without the consent of Ukraine and without the consent of the Europeans will not be the basis for a genuine, sustainable peace in Ukraine," he added.
Where do things stand now?
10:30 , James Reynolds- The Trump administration shared a 28-point peace plan last week seen to favour Russia. Trump subsequently gave Ukraine a deadline of this Thursday, 27 November, to agree to a deal.
- Europe rallied around Ukraine, offering a revised version based on Trump’s plan, more balanced towards Ukraine’s concerns around security.
- Trump has since waived his Thursday deadline.
- People briefed on talks between Ukraine and the US in Geneva said the 28 points had been whittled down to 19 on Monday.
- Ukraine said it had agreed to a deal in principle on Tuesday. There are still some fine details to address, Kyiv has signalled.
- Russia will still have to agree to any deal, and says the US draft is the only proposal with legs.
- US officials met with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday ostensibly for peace talks - but a Kremlin aide said the peace plan did not come up.
Ukraine has shown the US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
10:01 , James ReynoldsThe latest round of talks about peace may be drifting Ukraine’s way but it’s a carousel of chaos, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Ukraine has shown US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
Commission ready to present legal text on use of Russian frozen assets, says von der Leyen
09:30 , James ReynoldsThe European Commission is ready to present a legal text on the use of Russian frozen assets in the Ukraine war, its President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
In a speech addressing the European Parliament, she also welcomed the efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war, adding that a peace deal should ensure real security for Ukraine and Europe.
Peace plan was NOT discussed in Abu Dhabi, says Kremlin aide
08:52 , James ReynoldsPeace plans to end the war in Ukraine were not discussed during the meetings between US officials and Russian representatives earlier this week, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.
Ushakov said that Russia has now received the ‘latest versions’ the US proposal, news agency RIA reports.
Putin orders 'strengthening' of Russian identity in occupied Ukraine
08:48 , Maira ButtPresident Vladimir Putin has signed a decree ordering Russian authorities to increase the number of people who identify as Russian and speak Russian in areas of Ukraine incorporated into Russia since its invasion in 2022.
The document titled Strategy of Russia’s national policy in the period to 2036, calls for 95 per cent of the country’s population to identify as Russian by 2036.
Failure on Ukraine sets dangerous precedent for global order, warns von der Leyen
08:40 , James ReynoldsUrsula von der Leyen warned on Wednesday that failure to uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty would set a dangerous precedent for the global order.
Speaking at a debate in Brussels on the EU’s position on the proposed plan for peace, the president of the European Commission said: “If today we legitimise and formalise the undermining of borders – we open the doors for more wars tomorrow. And this goes against any sustainable peace that we are striving for.”
She went on to say that Ukraine’s future lies in Europe, and assessed EU membership as a “core and essential” part of their security guarantee to Kyiv.
Who are the key players in the US-brokered Ukraine and Russia peace talks?
08:25 , Maira ButtSeveral countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters below.
From blacklisted businessman to ex-film producer: Key players in Ukraine peace talks
Analysis: Ukraine has shown the US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
07:55 , Maira ButtUkraine continues to suffer the swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune at the hands of American negotiators but is learning how to survive the whirligig of the White House.
Donald Trump and his envoys are neither honest brokers nor even allies of Kyiv’s fight to defend itself against Russian invaders. But, for a little while, it seems that Ukraine has managed to swing them away from being outright enemies.
American officials have reportedly told US media that some kind of a deal has been struck in Abu Dhabi – after last weekend’s talks in Geneva – and that the prospects for peace in Ukraine are looking good.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
Ukraine has shown US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
Four arrested in France in connection with spying
07:32 , Maira ButtFour people have been arrested by French police on suspicion of colluding with a foreign power, the Paris prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Three people have been placed in custody, two of which are of Russian nationality. A fourth person is being investigated.
Trump's envoy Witkoff in Moscow next week for peace talks, says Kremlin
06:58 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and a host of other key US officials would come to Moscow next week for talks on a possible peace plan for Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
"As for Witkoff, I can say that a preliminary agreement has been reached that he will come to Moscow next week," Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide, told Russian state television's top Kremlin reporter, Pavel Zarubin.
Ushakov said that in addition to Witkoff "a number of other administration representatives who are involved in Ukrainian affairs" would also come to Moscow.
Kremlin says leak of Witkoff call is attempt to hinder Ukraine peace talks
06:50 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin said the leak of a telephone conversation between senior Kremlin and US officials was an attempt to hinder the talks on a possible peace deal for Ukraine.
Bloomberg News reported that president Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, in a telephone call with Yuri Ushakov, Russian president Vladimir Putin's foreign policy aide, said they should work together on a ceasefire plan for Ukraine and that Putin should raise it with Trump.
Bloomberg said it had reviewed a recording of the conversation and published a transcript of the call.
When asked why the call was leaked, Ushakov told Russian state television's top Kremlin reporter, Pavel Zarubin: "To hinder, probably. It is unlikely this was done to improve relations."
"As for Witkoff, I can say that a preliminary agreement has been reached that he will come to Moscow next week,” he said.
Watch: Trump says he's sending his envoys to see Putin and Ukrainians over plan to end war
06:40 , Arpan RaiHow Witkoff told Russians to pitch to Trump: 'Real peace man'
06:27 , Arpan RaiSteve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov’s now leaked call happened on 14 October, a day after Trump made a triumphant visit to Israel and Egypt to celebrate sealing the Gaza ceasefire.
In the call, Witkoff advised the senior aide to Vladimir Putin on how the Russian leader should go about pitching the US president on a peace plan aimed at bringing an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
“Here's what I think would be amazing," Witkoff said to his counterpart during the call.
“Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we're open to those sorts of things.”
Witkoff also suggested setting up a Trump-Putin call before Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's White House visit later that week and suggested that Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza agreement as an entry point into the call.
Ushakov agreed that Putin "will congratulate" and will say "Mr Trump is a real peace man."
Trump's peace envoy Witkoff coached Russians on how to approach talks
06:17 , Arpan RaiUS negotiator Steve Witkoff coached the Russians on how to approach Trump on the topic of Ukraine, a new report of their call transcripts shows.
Witkoff had offered advice to high-ranking Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov regarding how Vladimir Putin should speak to Donald Trump in a call lasting five minutes, reported Bloomberg.
According to call transcripts obtained by them, Ushakov and Witkoff alluded to a possible "20-point plan" as early as October 14. The scope of that plan apparently widened during subsequent conversations with Dmitriev, it added.
Witkoff, according to a transcript of the 14 October call published by the news service, advised Ushakov that Putin should call Trump to congratulate him for the Gaza peace deal, say Russia had supported it and that he respects the president as a man of peace.
“From that, it's going to be a really good call," Witkoff said according to the transcript.
The Bloomberg report came hours after Trump said a proposal to end Russia's war in Ukraine has been "fine-tuned" and announced he's sending Witkoff to meet with Putin.
The White House did not dispute the veracity of the transcript, and Trump described Witkoff's reported approach to the Russians in the call as "standard" negotiating procedure.
Russia accuses Europe of trying to undermine US peace efforts for Ukraine
06:00 , Arpan RaiRussia’s foreign ministry has accused European politicians and European media of trying to undermine US efforts to clinch a peace settlement for Ukraine.
European media and politicians are trying "to disrupt the possibility of political and diplomatic settlement" of the conflict in Ukraine, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told Radio Sputnik.
Zakharova said "information attacks" were being unleashed repeatedly by European politicians and European media.
She did not acknowledge the Kremlin’s remarks of rejecting the same peace process on Monday.
The Kremlin on Monday said that a European counter-proposal to a US 28-point peace plan for Ukraine was not constructive and that it simply did not work for Moscow.
"The European plan, at first glance... is completely unconstructive and does not work for us," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.
The publication of the 28-point draft US peace plan last week had deepened concerns in Ukraine and among European powers that Russia's core demands on Nato, territory and the chronology of any peace deal had been accepted by Washington.
Who is Trump's new negotiator Dan Driscoll in the Ukraine war?
05:44 , Arpan RaiIn a matter of days, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll vaulted from being the leader of a military bureaucracy — where he's been cutting red tape to quickly buy inexpensive drones — to a key negotiator in the Trump administration's push to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The boyish Iraq War veteran, former venture capitalist and friend of vice president JD Vance went from presenting president Donald Trump's plan to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to sitting down with Russian officials in the United Arab Emirates on Monday and Tuesday, heading up the latest phase of talks on a possible deal to halt the fighting.
Driscoll only learned of his new role as a negotiator about a week before he was sitting across the table from Zelensky, a US official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, said Driscoll always had planned to visit Ukraine but the trip was aimed at learning more about how its military has been using drones in warfare, not to negotiate peace.
Trump appears to believe Driscoll's efforts are going well, posting on social media that "my team has made tremendous progress."
"In the hopes of finalising this Peace Plan," Trump wrote Tuesday, "I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians."
It's an unlikely assignment for the Army's top civilian leader, who got the job in February at age 38.
His Senate confirmation hearing focused on how the Army could modernise its systems, improve recruiting and beef up the military industrial base, not international diplomacy.
As Zelensky heads to Washington DC, could a Ukraine peace deal be in reach?
05:33 , Arpan RaiWill it all be over by Christmas? Volodymyr Zelensky has asked to see Donald Trump in the coming days for final consultations on a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth winter. Trump himself has posted on social media that “something good just may be happening".
The Americans seem to be in a hurry to get a peace deal signed off, while the Russians have at least shown some interest in ending the fighting, albeit very much on Moscow’s terms. But, of course, there have been many false dawns in the course of a conflict that has in fact lasted, on and off, since the first Russian invasion in 2014.
As Zelensky heads to Washington DC, could a Ukraine peace deal be in reach?
Putin demands authorities must galvanise Russian identity in Ukraine
05:22 , Arpan RaiRussian authorities must consolidate the Russian language and identity in parts of Ukraine incorporated into the country since Moscow's 2022 invasion, according to a document signed by president Vladimir Putin and published yesterday.
The document, entitled "Strategy of Russia's national policy in the period to 2036", appeared as a decree signed by the president. It calls for measures to ensure that 95 percent of the country's population identify as Russian by 2036.
Long links between Russia and Ukraine, from even before the Soviet era, mean that some Ukrainians have traditionally been sympathetic to Russia and most speak both languages. But since the invasion, any such sympathy has vanished and surveys show that the use of Russian has undergone a marked decline.
The document, to come into force in January, said securing control over eastern regions "created conditions for restoring the unity of the historical territories of the Russian state".
It was vital, the document said, "to adopt additional measures to strengthen overall Russian civic identity", entrench use of Russian and act against "efforts by unfriendly foreign states to destabilise inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations and create a split in society".
Coalition of the Willing calls for 'rock-solid' security guarantees
05:03 , Arpan RaiThe Coalition of the Willing called for “rock-solid” guarantees that cannot be violated by Russia in the future as Ukraine and its allies held a virtual summit yesterday.
“The absolute condition for a good peace is a set of very robust security guarantees and not paper guarantees. Ukraine has had its share of promises that were shattered by successive Russian aggressions, and real rock-solid guarantees are a necessity," French president Emmanuel Macron said at the virtual meeting.
Macron said France and other European nations will be working towards using frozen Russian assets to provide financial assistance to Ukraine.
In a separate interview, Macron said soldiers from France, the UK, or Turkey could be sent to Ukraine as part of the "reassurance force" on the day a peace deal is signed.
A peacekeeper deployment in Ukraine would not be carried out by Nato, but as part of an "intergovernmental coalition," he said, even as Russia has demanded no deployment of foreign troops.
Ukraine has shown the US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
04:51 , Arpan RaiUkraine continues to suffer the swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune at the hands of American negotiators but is learning how to survive the whirligig of the White House.
Donald Trump and his envoys are neither honest brokers nor even allies of Kyiv’s fight to defend itself against Russian invaders. But, for a little while, it seems that Ukraine has managed to swing them away from being outright enemies.
American officials have reportedly told US media that some kind of a deal has been struck in Abu Dhabi – after last weekend’s talks in Geneva – and that the prospects for peace in Ukraine are looking good.
The nature of that deal is key. And there is no clarity on what version of a plan that is, or even whether it’s a blueprint for peace or for just a ceasefire.
Ukraine has shown US a viable peace deal – but can Trump shake off Putin’s influence?
Kremlin 'to reject peace plan' and extend war until Christmas
04:31 , Arpan RaiRussia is likely to reject the new 19-point ceasefire deal drafted by the US and Ukraine, the New York Post quoted sources as saying, in a development that would see the war drag on into another winter.
The report suggested Russia could resort to using disinformation tactics to drag out talks without actually making any commitment to stop fighting or rejecting the peace process altogether.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss any final points of dispute with Trump, in talks he said should include European allies.
After Trump’s earlier 28-point peace plan was dubbed a “wish list from Russia” by US senators and criticised heavily by Ukrainians and European nations, officials from Kyiv, Europe and US sat down in Geneva on Monday to hammer out a 19-point peace plan which Zelensky said was acceptable.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia's top priority is war after Trump hints Ukraine negotiators 'very close' to peace deal
04:02 , Arpan RaiTrump backs away from Ukraine peace plan deadline
03:35 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump has backed away from a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to agree to a US-proposed peace plan.
Trump, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday, said US negotiators were making progress in discussions with Russia and Ukraine, and Moscow had agreed to some concessions. He did not detail them.
But he and his aides have moved away from a firm deadline and now say they would like an agreement as soon as possible.
“The deadline for me is when it's over," Trump said on the presidential aircraft.
A US-based framework for ending the war, first reported last week, prompted fresh concerns that the Trump administration might be willing to push Ukraine to sign a peace deal heavily tilted toward Moscow.
Several rounds of talks have followed, and Ukraine now says it has an "understanding" with the US on a new version.
Ukraine destroys Russian laser aircraft in successful strikes on bases
03:16 , Arpan RaiUkraine says it has carried out successful strikes on multiple Russian airbases, hitting an experimental A-60 airborne laser platform and a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft.
The aircraft were identified in an update from Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's drone forces.
Earlier, Ukraine's armed forces General Staff reported successful strikes on several strategic Russian targets, including the Taganrog Aircraft Repair Plant and the Atlant Aero drone manufacturing facility in Rostov oblast.
The General Staff had said that the A-60 at the Taganrog aircraft repair plant in southwestern Russia had likely been hit, before Brovdi shared a satellite image confirming the damage.
The A-60 is a rare Soviet-era experimental aircraft based on the Il-76 and is equipped with an airborne laser system. Estimated to be worth between $150m and $480m, it was developed to test missile defence and anti-satellite technologies.
Trump says Ukraine peace plan proposal 'fine-tuned'
02:52 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has said a proposal to end Russia's war in Ukraine has been "fine-tuned" and announced he's sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Vladimir Putin.
Witkoff reportedly advised Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov that Putin should call Trump to congratulate him for the Gaza peace deal, say Russia had supported it and that he respects the president as a man of peace. The remarks from the transcript were published by Bloomberg yesterday.
The White House did not dispute the veracity of the transcript, and Trump described Witkoff's reported approach to the Russians in the call as "standard" negotiating procedure.
“He's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine to Russia," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to his home in Florida last night. "That's what a dealmaker does."
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine peace deal has fewer than 28 points after Geneva talks
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneComment: As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
As Trump bends to Putin’s will again on Ukraine, it is time for Europe to go it alone
Recap: Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal in Ukraine after rejecting European proposal
00:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal after rejecting European proposal
Ukraine must cede land for peace deal, Witkoff reportedly told Kremlin
Tuesday 25 November 2025 23:33 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkraine must cede land including the Donetsk region in order to achieve a peace deal, US special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told officials in Moscow last month.
Bloomberg reported that the conversation took place on 14 October.
“Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere,” Mr Witkoff reportedly told senior Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov during the five-minute conversation, according to Bloomberg’s transcript.
“But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here.”
Starmer says changes to draft peace plan are 'constructive' and 'could be accepted'
Tuesday 25 November 2025 23:30 , Nicole Wootton-CanePolitical correspondent Millie Cooke reports...
Sir Keir Starmer says the changes that have been proposed to the draft peace plan are "constructive" and "could be accepted", arguing the talks are moving "in a positive direction".
Speaking at the top of a Coalition of the Willing call, the prime minister said: "I welcome some of the developments that have now come forward.
"It was a chance to ensure that the draft plan fully reflects Ukraine’s interests and lays the ground for a lasting peace."
He added: "They’ve proposed some constructive changes. And of course some of our National Security Advisers were there in Geneva to support the talks.
"So I do think we’re moving in a positive direction – and indications today that in large part the majority of the text looks as though, Volodymyr is indicating, could be accepted."
Watch: Starmer hits out at Putin’s ‘depraved ambitions’
Tuesday 25 November 2025 23:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSeven injured after Russian drones cause mass damage in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
Tuesday 25 November 2025 22:54 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian forces staged a mass drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late on Tuesday, triggering fires, injuring at least seven people and badly damaging buildings and vehicles, the regional governor said.
Ivan Fedorov, posting on the Telegram messaging app, said the attack had destroyed shops, damaged other buildings and smashed cars. He said seven people had been injured, with three of them in hospital.
"A rescue operation is currently underway at 12 locations," Mr Fedorov said in a video posted online. "The maximum number of units from the State Emergency Services, national police and our medical teams has been deployed."
Pictures posted online showed firefighters battling blazes at high-rise apartment buildings and gutted vehicles on city streets.
The Russia-appointed head of the Zaporizhzhia region held by Russia, Yevgeny Belitsky, said Ukrainian forces had attacked power grid infrastructure in Russian-controlled areas.
Belitsky, writing on Telegram, said power had been cut to 40,000 customers in Russian-controlled towns in the region.
Zelensky says sensitive issues to be discussed with Trump
Tuesday 25 November 2025 22:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVolodymyr Zelensky has said a proposed peace plan now under discussion with the United States and Europe has incorporated "correct" points, but sensitive issues were to be discussed with US president Donald Trump.
"As of now, after (talks in) Geneva, there are fewer points, no longer 28, and many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
"Our team has already reported today on the new draft of steps and this is truly the right approach. The sensitive issues, the most delicate points, I will discuss with President Trump,” he said.
Zelensky said the process of producing a final document would be difficult and Ukraine appreciated the assistance offered by other countries and the "constructive" US approach.
He said it was in Russia's interests to disrupt the peace process and warned Ukrainians to pay particular attention to air raid alerts in the days and weeks to come "as we fully understand who we are dealing with".
Zelensky said that if negotiations proceeded on resolving the war "there must be no missiles, no massive strikes on Ukraine and our people. This is something that those who are strong in the world can ensure.”
Ukrainian president's chief of staff expects US army secretary Driscoll in Kyiv
Tuesday 25 November 2025 22:22 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Tuesday he spoke to US army secretary Daniel Driscoll, a key member of the US negotiating team on a Ukrainian settlement, and expected him in Kyiv this week.
"Thank you for your objectivity and constructiveness," Yermak wrote on Telegram. "As set out by President Trump, we expect the (army secretary) in Kyiv this week, and we are ready to continue working as quickly as possible to finalise the steps necessary to end the bloodshed."
Yermak, part of the Ukrainian delegation that held talks in Geneva with US officials on Washington's peace proposal, said those talks were "a good foundation" and added that Zelensky and his team were "fully committed to further work".
'Nothing to suggest' Moscow are willing to engage in 'serious' peace talks, Swedish PM says
Tuesday 25 November 2025 22:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThere have been no indications Russia is “ready to engage constructively in serious negotiations,” Swedish prime minister Ulf Krissterson has said.
In a post on X, he wrote that the ball “now clearly lies” with Moscow.
“I participated just now in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine,” he wrote.
“The main point of the meeting was the framework for peace, which Ukraine and the USA have now jointly reviewed.
“The ball now lies, as so often before, clearly with Russia. If Russia were to have a genuine will to end the war, they have all the opportunities to do so. But so far, we have seen nothing to suggest that they would be ready to engage constructively in serious negotiations.
“At the meeting, I therefore emphasized that we must continue to increase the pressure on Russia. We know that the sanctions have a significant effect on the Russian economy and freedom of action. We must also use the frozen Russian assets to the benefit of Ukraine.”
'Much depends on the US,' Zelensky says
Tuesday 25 November 2025 21:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is “counting on” continued cooperation from the US.
In his evening address on X, he said it is “America's strength that Russia takes most seriously”.
“We worked with the Ukrainian negotiating team today on the text of the document prepared with the United States in Geneva,” he wrote. “The principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements. It is in our shared interest that security is real.
“I count on continued active cooperation with the American side and President Trump. Much depends on the United States because it’s America's strength that Russia takes most seriously.
“I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine.”
We worked with the Ukrainian negotiating team today on the text of the document prepared with the United States in Geneva.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 25, 2025
The principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements.
It is in our shared interest that security is real.
I count on continued… pic.twitter.com/JtoR9eAzYH
