Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kremlin sinks Trump’s hope of peace deal by Thanksgiving

European Council president Antonio Costa pledged on Monday that the European Union will keep on supporting Ukraine, as he hailed “new momentum” in peace negotiations to end the war triggered by Russia’s invasion.

“The European Union is committed to continue providing president Zelenskiy with all the support he needs – diplomatic support, military support, economic support,” he told reporters in the Angolan capital Luanda, after chairing a meeting of EU leaders on Ukraine on the sidelines of a summit with the African Union.

“This concerns in particular, financial support to Ukraine,” Costa added, recalling that EU leaders agreed last month to cover Ukraine’s financial needs for the next two years.

“We committed to deliver … and we will deliver at the December European Council,” he said.

A heating and power plant in Russia’s Moscow region has resumed operations after shutting down due to a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone strike, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov says.

The attack on the facility in Shatura, a town of about 33,000, cut heating for residents. It marked one of Kyiv’s most significant strikes to date on a power station deep inside Russia.

Russia has been pummelling Ukraine’s electricity and heat infrastructure, while Kyiv has until now mostly focused on trying to knock out Russia’s oil refineries, crude terminals and pipelines.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his expectations for Ukraine as negotiations appear to advance ahead of EU talks on a peace deal with Russia on Monday.

“We all continue working with partners, especially the United States, to look for compromises that will strengthen but not weaken us,” he said.

He added that the use of frozen Russian assets was crucial to talks and accountability was necessary.

“Right now, we are at a critical moment,” he said.

“There is a lot of noise in the media, and all the political pressure, and even greater responsibility for the decisions ahead.”

The 28-point proposal would see Kyiv give up land while compensating the US for upholding peace. It would also see a formal end to Ukraine’s ambitions to join Nato and the European Union.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says a proposed peace plan 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,” President 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.”

The United States and Ukraine have had productive talks on a potential deal to end Russia’s war in the country, the White House Press Secretary says, adding that there remained just “a couple of points of disagreement”.

US President Donald Trump is optimistic a deal can be struck to end the war, said Karoline Leavitt.

British prime minister Keir Starmer said on Monday there was more work to do to establish a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, but progress was being made.

Starmer said a group of countries supporting Ukraine, known as the coalition of the willing, would discuss the progress being during a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

“Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace,” Starmer told broadcasters.

He added that matters for Ukraine should be determined by Ukraine.

“So progress, yes, more work to do,” Starmer said.

President Donald Trump has claimed that “big progress” is being made in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

It includes respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, freedom to advance its Nato ambitions and EU membership aspirations and maintain a large military to deter the threat of future Russian aggression.

Several 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:

South African police say they are investigating allegations that former President Jacob Zuma ‘s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla lured 17 men who are now trapped in Russia into fighting in that country’s war with Ukraine without their consent.

According to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, an affidavit filed by Zuma-Sambudla’s sister Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube alleges that Zuma-Sambudla and two other people lured the men by claiming they would receive security training in Russia.

Details about the two others were not immediately clear.

The affidavit alleges they were handed over to a Russian mercenary group and forced to fight in the war. It also says eight of the 17 men were members of the sisters’ family.

Mathe said Sunday that any police charges “are still to be determined through a thorough investigation.”

Russian air defences intercepted multiple drones targeting Moscow and surrounding regions on Monday, just a day after a Ukrainian strike on a power station left thousands without heating outside the capital.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that eight drones were shot down en route to the city, with emergency services deployed to the sites.

This followed an earlier statement from the Russian Defence Ministry, which claimed ten Ukrainian drones had been downed across three regions – Moscow, Kaluga, and Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.