News Beat
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky has ‘really good’ talks with Trump envoy as peace plan lands in Moscow
President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at progress towards a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, following a “really good conversation” with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
“It was a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelensky said on Telegram on Thursday.
“There are some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”
It comes after two people were killed after Russia launched more than 130 drones on Ukraine on Christmas night, Kyiv officials said.
Moscow’s latest aerial assault killed one man in Kharvkiv and another in Odesa, with around 35 others injured, Ukraine’s Air Force reported. Further attacks were launched overnight on Zaporizhzhia and Sumy.
Zelensky has outlined a new peace plan that involves creating demilitarised or free economic zones in eastern Ukraine as a possible route to ending the war.
The proposal offers Kyiv Nato-style security guarantees while insisting that any demilitarised zones remain under Ukrainian administration and policing. Russia has yet to respond to the deal but the Kremlin has repeatedly insisted any agreement will not be reached quickly.
Ukraine’s revised 20 point peace plan
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.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 21:00
Watch: ‘May he perish’ says Zelensky in Christmas address
Appearing 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.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 20:00
In pictures: The aftermath of a Russian attack in Chernihiv
Maira Butt25 December 2025 19:30
Chinese satellites aiding Russian attacks, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has alleged that Chinese satellites could be supporting Russia in its attacks on Ukraine.
“There have been correlations between Chinese satellite imaging of Ukrainian territory and Russian strikes on the corresponding energy infrastructure facilities,” Zelensky said in a social media post on Wednesday following a meeting with Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
“We are recording increased ties between Russia and entities in China that may be providing space-based intelligence data.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 19:00
Ukraine and US discuss how to bring ‘real peace closer’, says Zelensky
Ukrainian 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.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 18:30
Ukraine’s president Zelensky appears to wish death to Putin in Christmas message
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has appeared to wish for the death of Vladimir Putin in a Christmas message after Russia continued to bombard the country with missiles and drones.
In a video posted to X on Christmas Eve, 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, 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.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 18:00
In pictures: Ukrainians celebrate Christmas amid conflict with Russia
Maira Butt25 December 2025 17:30
King Charles shows support for Kyiv with Ukrainian choir as he urges Brits to embrace values of World War 2 generation
King Charles urged Brits to embrace the values of their Second World War generation as he delivered his annual Christmas address on Thursday.
“The end of the second world war is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass,” he said.
“But the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge, carry a timeless message for us all.”
While required to remain apolitical, the monarch showed clear support for Ukraine with the choice to include a performance by a Ukrainian choir, wearing traditional Ukrainian “vyshyvanka” embroidered shirts, and the London-based Royal Opera Chorus.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 17:01
Zelensky praises ‘constructive’ conversation with US envoy Witkoff
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner for a “constructive” conversation on a peace deal.
“Today we had a very good conversation with President Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Thursday.
“I thank them for the constructive approach, the intensive work, and the kind words and Christmas greetings to the Ukrainian people. 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 added that the group had discussed “certain substantive details of the ongoing work”. Zelensky said he was joined by Ukraine’s representative Rustem Umerov, Andrii Hnatov, Andrii Sybiha, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ihor Brusylo, and Oleksandr Bevz.
“Our entire diplomatic team is doing their utmost. We agreed that Rustem will speak again today with Steve and Jared,” he continued.
“We believe this is the right approach – not to lose a single day or a single opportunity that can bring the result closer. May today’s conversation become another step toward peace.”
Maira Butt25 December 2025 16:30
Russia seeing ‘slow but steady’ progress in peace talks
Russia’s foreign ministry has provided an indication that lengthy peace talks are headed in the right direction in an update 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,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
But, she hit out at Western European powers for attempts to torpedo progress, praising the US for countering the moves.
Maira Butt25 December 2025 16:00
