Russia strikes Ukraine ahead of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump
Explosions and drone strikes shook Ukraine as Zelenskyy prepared for talks in Florida on ending the nearly four-year war.
Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian regions on Saturday, hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a potential peace deal ending nearly four years of war.
Explosions shook Kiev as air defences engaged, and drones targeted the northeast and south, the military said on the Telegram messaging app that missiles were being deployed.
By 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), attacks were ongoing, with at least eight people wounded, authorities in Kiev said.
Air raid alerts remained in effect, according to Reuters eyewitnesses.
The strikes forced temporary closures of Rzeszow and Lublin airports in Poland, where fighter jets were scrambled. Russia did not immediately comment.
The attacks come as Zelenskyy prepares to negotiate territorial control—a key sticking point in the conflict that began with Russia’s 2022 attack on Ukraine, Europe’s deadliest war since World War II.
Longer peace deal
A 20-point US-led draft peace plan is reportedly 90 percent complete, including security guarantees for Kiev, Zelenskyy told journalists, long considered crucial after past promises failed.
“A lot can be decided before the New Year," Zelenskyy posted on social media.
Trump said the United States was the driving force behind the process. "He doesn't have anything until I approve it," Trump told Politico. "So we'll see what he's got."
Zelenskyy said Kiev seeks a longer, legally binding security deal than the US’s 15-year offer, according to Axios.
Trump expressed optimism about Sunday’s meeting and indicated he may soon speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of the talks, a call including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders is scheduled for Saturday.
Compromise
Territorial disputes focus on the eastern Donetsk region — that Russian troops have failed to occupy — and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, captured by Moscow early in the war.
Kiev wants the fighting halted at the current lines.
Under a US compromise, a free economic zone could be created if Ukraine cedes parts of Donetsk, though details remain unresolved.
Zelenskyy suggested he could hold a referendum on the plan if US backing is insufficient, provided Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire, Axios quoted the Ukrainian president.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, according to Interfax news agency, acknowledged differences between Kiev’s and Moscow’s views but described the negotiations as reaching a “turning point.”
Kremlin officials confirmed ongoing discussions with the US on peace proposals but did not disclose Russia’s stance.