Ukraine, US near 20-point peace deal as Putin spurns Zelenskyy Christmas ceasefire offer

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine and nan United States are adjacent to finalizing a model of information guarantees and economical arrangements tied to a projected bid plan, while Russia has signaled it will activity important changes earlier immoderate statement to extremity nan war.

Speaking astatine a property convention successful Kyiv connected Dec. 22, Zelenskyy said talks pinch U.S. officials had produced a 20-point scheme and accompanying documents that see information guarantees involving Ukraine, nan United States and European partners. He acknowledged nan model was not flawless but described it arsenic a tangible measurement forward.

"There are 20 points of nan plan, astir apt not everything is cleanable there, but this scheme is there," Zelenskyy said. "There are information guarantees betwixt us, nan Europeans and nan United States of America, location is simply a model document."

US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH 'LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE' BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA

Zelenskyy and Trump beryllium crossed from each other

President Donald Trump meets pinch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during nan 80th United Nations General Assembly, successful New York City, Sept. 23, 2025. (Al Drago/Reuters)

Zelenskyy said a abstracted bilateral archive pinch Washington covering information guarantees is intended to beryllium reviewed by nan U.S. Congress, adding that cardinal annexes captious to Ukraine’s subject needs were mostly agreed to.

"I saw nan first developments, location are almost 90%, to beryllium honest, precisely those attachments that are important for us, what our service and Ukraine tin count on," he said, describing nan draught arsenic "quite decent."

Russia strikes Ukraine arsenic Putin spurns ceasefire

A Christmas character remains successful a surviving room damaged by a Russian drone onslaught successful Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, connected Dec. 16, 2025. Russian troops attacked a nine-story flat building pinch a drone, starting a occurrence successful respective flats and injuring 3 people. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

He besides said a first type of an agreement connected Ukraine’s recovery had been prepared, calling it an economical strategy that, together pinch nan information documents, forms "the basal artifact of each documents."

Zelenskyy warned, however, that diplomacy has not reduced nan contiguous subject threat from Russia. He criticized Moscow for rejecting proposals for a Christmas ceasefire, calling it a "bad signal," and warned of imaginable attacks during nan vacation period.

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE

Ukrainian subject uses a self-propelled howitzer.

Ukrainian servicemen occurrence a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions astatine nan frontline successful nan Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Aug. 20, 2025. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo)

"When Russia says location will beryllium nary Christmas ceasefire, I deliberation that this is, successful principle, ever what they say, they stress intimidation," Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine faces an air-defense shortfall and urged civilians to stay vigilant.

Reuters besides reported that Zelenskyy confirmed Russian forces captured a separator colony successful Ukraine’s Sumy region, taking dozens of civilians and 13 Ukrainian soldiers prisoner. He said Ukrainian troops refrained from striking Russian forces because civilians were present. Reuters noted it could not independently verify nan relationship and that Russia had not commented.

On nan Russian side, nan Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin has been briefed connected nan U.S. bid proposals, pinch Moscow expected to formulate its position successful nan coming days, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.

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Trump shaking Putin's manus successful Alaska successful August

President Donald Trump shakes nan manus of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a associated property convention astatine Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Bloomberg News reported that Russia views nan 20-point scheme agreed to betwixt Ukraine and nan U.S. arsenic only a starting point. According to a personification adjacent to nan Kremlin, Moscow intends to activity cardinal changes, including further restrictions connected Ukraine’s military, arguing that nan connection lacks provisions important to Russia and leaves galore questions unanswered.

The emerging positions underline a widening spread betwixt Kyiv’s portrayal of advancement toward information guarantees and Moscow’s insistence connected renegotiating halfway elements of nan U.S.-backed scheme arsenic diplomacy continues.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative newsman and warfare correspondent. Her activity has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is simply a recipient of nan 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter tin beryllium followed connected X @efratlachter.

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