Russia launched a major nighttime attack on Kiev after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday as efforts to end nearly four years of war in Eastern Europe continue.
Zelenskiy warned on Friday that he could not say whether the talks would lead to a firm deal, but said the two sides would aim for “as final an agreement as possible.” Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian leader wrote to X optimistically that “many things can be decided by the new year.”
Zelenskiy told reporters that the 20-point peace plan laid out by Ukrainian and U.S. officials was “90% ready” and that he would discuss with Trump how Ukraine’s allies could ensure their security in the future.
Trump said in an interview with Politico that he expected the meeting to “go well,” but warned Zelenskiy: “We don’t have anything until I approve.” He added that he would also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon and as often as I wish.”
Less than 24 hours later, Russia launched a major air raid on Kiev, injuring at least eight people, city officials said.
A CNN reporter in the capital heard an attack drone flying overhead and a series of explosions early Saturday morning, while an air force alert was in effect.
Fires broke out across the city, engulfing a car repair shop and several residential buildings, forcing elderly residents to evacuate care homes as the flames spread, Kyiv emergency services said.
“Kyiv was attacked by cruise missiles and ballistic missiles,” Oleksiy Sorokin, deputy editor of Ukraine’s Kyiv Independent, told CNN, adding that while no casualties had yet been confirmed, more drone attacks were expected from the east.
Regarding the upcoming peace negotiations, he added: “The problem is… there’s one side that wants the war to end, and the other side that never wants it to end.
“If you look at the attacks that are happening behind my back, you can see that Russia is not very interested in peace.”
In response to the attack, Poland scrambled fighter jets and temporarily closed two airports, Reuters reported, citing a post on X by the Polish Air Navigation Services Authority.
The closure of Rzeszow and Lublin airports in the southeast of the country was triggered by “unplanned military activities related to ensuring national security,” according to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) posted on the US Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
U.S. officials said they hoped Sunday’s Zelenskyy-Trump meeting would be fruitful after a week of intensive efforts by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators. Officials did not mention specific goals for the talks, but Zelenskiy told Axios on Friday that he hoped to conclude a framework to end the war.
No European leaders are expected to attend the meeting, U.S. and European officials said. But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will take part in a phone call with Zelensky, Trump and other European leaders on Saturday, a spokesperson for the European Commission told Reuters.
European officials said Ukraine had been seeking a meeting between Zelensky and Trump in recent months. European countries are expecting positive talks as they say the current dynamic between the US and Ukraine is productive. Still, they acknowledge that the outcome of the meeting with President Trump is unpredictable.
“There is no low-risk scenario for President Trump,” said one NATO official.
In preparation for Sunday’s talks, President Zelenskiy said on Friday he spoke with the leaders of NATO, Canada, Germany, Finland, Denmark and Estonia to coordinate positions. “Ukraine has never been an obstacle to peace and never will be. We will continue to work efficiently so that the necessary documents are prepared as soon as possible,” he said.
Zelenskiy’s announcement came after he offered compromises on some of the thorniest issues that have so far stalled the U.S.-brokered peace process with Russia. However, it is unclear whether President Zelensky’s concessions will satisfy the Kremlin.
Asked about President Zelenskiy’s potential willingness to consider territorial concessions towards a peace agreement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN: “Giving up the remaining areas of Donetsk could make a big contribution.”
The original 28-point peace plan, announced in November after consultations between the United States and Russia, was criticized by Ukraine’s allies as heavily favoring Russia. After weeks of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials, the draft was slimmed down to the current 20-point plan, which President Zelenskiy said could become “the foundational document for ending the war.”
Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine had not received an official response from the Kremlin to the latest proposal. He said Kiev was negotiating exclusively with Washington, and Washington was also in touch with Moscow.
Zelenskyy suggested further steps should be taken to force Russia’s hand if it does not agree to the peace plan drafted by Ukraine and the United States. “If Ukraine presents its position, it will be constructive, and if, for example, Russia does not agree, (existing) pressure will not be enough,” Zelenskiy said, adding that he would like to discuss the matter with President Trump.
Russia’s central demands are for Ukraine to abandon its ambitions to join NATO (a distant prospect before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022) and for Kiev forces to completely withdraw from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, known as Donbass. It was here that the Kremlin began destabilizing Ukraine in 2014, helping pro-Russian separatists take control of much of the region. Ultimately, Donbas was illegally annexed to Russia in September 2022.
President Zelenskiy made concessions on both issues. At a wide-ranging news conference Tuesday to discuss the new 20-point peace plan, President Zelenskiy said Ukraine wants security from its allies that “reflects” NATO Article 5, which requires all members to defend a member under attack, but no longer seeks full membership in the military alliance.
President Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine is ready to withdraw its troops from areas of the Donetsk region not currently occupied by Russian forces. The Ukrainian leader said any troop withdrawal must be mutual, with Moscow giving up as much Ukrainian territory as it ceded from Kiev, and parts of Donbass being demilitarized as a result. Earlier this month, President Zelenskiy said U.S. negotiators want to turn these regions into “free economic zones” after all troops leave.
Ukraine’s constitution requires any border changes to be approved in a referendum. President Zelenskiy reiterated on Friday that “the fate of Ukraine should be decided by the Ukrainian people” and said Ukraine’s allies “have enough power to force Russia or negotiate with Russia” to ensure such a referendum can be held safely.
This story has been updated with additional information.
