Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the European Union to begin Ukraine's formal accession process while also calling for direct ceasefire talks with Russia. Multiple diplomatic, military, and territorial developments were reported across several sources, covering events from the past week.
Diplomatic Developments
EU Accession Request
President Zelenskyy wrote to EU leaders on Friday, requesting the start of Ukraine's formal accession process. He rejected a proposal for associate membership, describing it as "unfair" due to the lack of voting rights for Ukraine. Ukraine has intensified its membership efforts following the loss of parliamentary elections in Hungary by Viktor Orban, who had previously blocked Ukraine's accession.
Ceasefire Talks Proposal
Zelenskyy received backing from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a proposal calling for direct ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia.
"The leaders supported the proposal for a direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia — with active US and European participation — to bring about a ceasefire and support further negotiations."
The statement noted that the current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations and that international borders must not be changed by force. Zelenskyy previously proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Putin rejected the idea, stating he saw "no point" in meeting until a peace deal is agreed.
Peace Plan and Territorial Disputes
Planned Meeting with US President Donald Trump
President Zelenskyy announced plans to meet with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. He stated the purpose of the meeting is "to finalise everything as much as we can" regarding territory and security guarantees. Zelenskyy reported a discussion with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, noting "some new ideas on how to bring the real peace closer, and it concerns formats, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline."
Trump told Politico that Zelenskyy "doesn't have anything until I approve it," adding, "So we'll see what he's got."
Peace Plan Framework
Earlier in the week, Zelenskyy presented a 20-point draft peace plan, which he described as the primary framework for ending the conflict. This draft is a condensed version of an earlier 28-point plan that had been discussed with Russian representatives, which included demands for Kyiv to cede territory and impose restrictions on its military. Zelenskyy indicated that key territorial questions remain unresolved within the new 20-point draft.
Specific areas of disagreement between Ukraine and the US include demands for Ukraine to relinquish control over parts of Donbas and the future status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control.
Russian Positions
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that documents concerning the conflict's resolution, delivered by Russia's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev from the US, were being analyzed in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told businessmen on December 24 that he might consider exchanging some Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine, but maintained the objective of securing the entirety of Donbas, as reported by Kommersant newspaper. Putin reiterated concessions previously discussed in Anchorage, affirming "Donbas is ours."
On December 19, Putin stated that a peace agreement should align with principles he outlined for 2024: Ukraine's withdrawal from all of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, and Kyiv's official renunciation of its aim to join NATO. Kommersant also reported that joint Russian-US management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was under discussion.
Military Operations
Pokrovsk Region
Russian forces have reportedly gained positions in Pokrovsk, a town in eastern Ukraine identified as a strategic hub. President Zelensky stated that drone imagery indicated approximately 200 Russian soldiers were present in Pokrovsk. He described the situation as "difficult," reporting significant fighting and the entry of groups identified as sabotage units into the town. He rejected reports by Russia's Chief of General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, claiming Ukrainian troops had been completely surrounded.
On Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry stated that its forces had encircled Ukrainian troops near the main railway station and had cleared the city's Troyanda district of Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian soldier Artem Pribylnov from the 155th Brigade contested the claim of encirclement, characterizing the conflict as evolving and increasingly reliant on technology, noting that drones control access points.
Captain Hryhoriy Shapoval, spokesperson for Ukraine's East operational group, reported that 79 attacks had been repelled near Pokrovsk since Monday. He stated that Russian troops had concentrated a large number of personnel and equipment near Pokrovsk and were utilizing armoured vehicles to cover their infantry. He added that foggy and rainy weather conditions had hindered the use of Ukrainian drones.
Other Military Actions
- Ukraine's military hit the Metafrax Chemical plant in Russia's Perm region, halting production, according to Zelenskyy. The plant supplied materials for Russian military production.
- Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and caused a fire at an oil terminal in Novorossiysk.
- The Ukrainian military stated it utilized British Storm Shadow missiles to target the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region on Thursday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicated that "numerous explosions" were recorded at the plant.
- Russia accused Ukraine of attacking a student dormitory in Starobilsk, killing 12 people. Ukraine denied the attack, stating it targeted an elite drone command unit.
Nuclear Facility Incident
Over the weekend, Russia launched waves of drones and other munitions at Ukraine. One attack damaged a nuclear storage facility near the Chernobyl disaster site. Ukraine's nuclear energy operator, Energoatom, said the fuel reception building was "partially destroyed," but radiation levels remained normal. Zelenskyy stated that Russia used an Iranian-designed Shahed drone to hit the storage facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency dispatched a team to inspect the damage, calling the incident "deeply concerning."
Casualties and Territory
- In Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian bombardment of a public transport stop killed at least two people, and a drone strike killed a 56-year-old minibus driver.
- In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two men were killed by separate Russian attacks.
- In Russia's Belgorod border region, a Ukrainian drone strike on a car killed a woman and injured her husband.
- On Thursday night, Russian drone attacks caused damage to Slovakia, Palau, and Liberia-flagged vessels in Ukraine's Odesa and Mykolaiv ports. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba reported no casualties, but confirmed power outages in the Odesa region.
- Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has liberated 590 sq km of territory since the start of the year.
- Ukrainian officials believe Russia may be preparing a new offensive in the coming months.
Background
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to Russian estimates, Russia currently controls Crimea (annexed in 2014), approximately 90% of Donbas, 75% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and portions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
International Financial Efforts
European leaders have not yet diverted €140 billion worth of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. This action would involve complex legal procedures and was reportedly blocked by Belgium at an EU summit last week. The proposal is scheduled to be revisited in December.
President Zelensky expressed hope that an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would lead to a decision by China to reduce its support for Russia. Last week, former President Trump imposed sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, two major Russian oil companies, and urged Turkey and China to halt purchases of Russian oil.