Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 26 December that he will meet with US President Donald Trump "in the near future" as negotiations on ending the war with Russia gain momentum. Sources told the Kyiv Post that Zelenskyy is expected to travel to Mar-a-Lago as early as 28 December.
The meeting follows a phone call with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during which they discussed what Zelenskyy described as "good ideas for lasting peace." National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Andriy Hnatov, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha participated in the call.
"We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future," Zelenskyy wrote on social media, noting that "much could be decided before the New Year." Trump has not publicly confirmed plans for the meeting.
"We discussed some key details of the work. There are good ideas that could help achieve a common result and lasting peace. Real security, real recovery, real peace -- that's what we all need," Zelenskyy wrote.
The diplomatic activity centers on a 20-point peace framework that Zelenskyy unveiled earlier this week. The plan includes provisions on security guarantees for Ukraine, reconstruction, and a roadmap to cease hostilities. US, Ukrainian, and European negotiators have been developing the framework.
Russian representatives took part in US-hosted discussions in Miami on 20-21 December, though the Kremlin cautioned against viewing the talks as a breakthrough. Bloomberg reported, citing a source close to the Kremlin, that Moscow intends to seek amendments to secure guarantees against NATO's eastward expansion and to ensure Ukraine maintains a neutral status if it joins the European Union.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 26 December that Moscow had analyzed information from special envoy Kirill Dmitriev after the Miami talks. On Putin's instructions, contacts between Russian and US officials have taken place, with Russia represented by foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and the White House by several interlocutors, according to Peskov. The sides agreed to continue the dialogue.
As diplomatic efforts accelerated, Russian forces continued strikes on Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched an Iskander-M missile and 99 attack drones overnight.
"Today, the enemy attacked our city again," Serhiy Lysak, head of the Odesa military administration, said on December 26. A drone attack hit an infrastructure facility in Odesa, causing a fire.
The overnight strikes damaged vessels flying the flags of Slovakia, Palau, and Liberia in ports in the Odesa and Mykolayiv oblasts, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba reported on Telegram. A missile strike on Uman in the Cherkasy Oblast injured six people, including two children, and damaged residential infrastructure, regional governor Ihor Taburets wrote on Telegram.
A bipartisan group of US senators condemned Russia's attacks on Ukrainian civilians during the Christmas holiday, targeting Kherson, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kryviy Rih.
"Even for countries at war, there is a long history of Christmas cease-fires, including notably during World War I. Today's decision by Putin to launch attacks rather than hold fire is a sobering reminder for us all: Putin is a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace and cannot be trusted," the senators' statement said.
