Russian Drones, Missiles Pound Ukraine Before Zelenskyy-Trump Meeting

December 27 (Reuters) – Russia attacked Kiev and other parts of Ukraine with missiles and drones on Saturday; This comes ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would be an important meeting with US President Donald Trump to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war.

Before the nightly attacks, Zelenskyy said his talks in Florida on Sunday would focus on areas that both sides would control after the conflict that began in February 2022, when President Vladimir Putin invaded Russia’s smaller neighbor in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, ended.

Explosions were heard in Kiev as Ukraine’s air defense units mobilized and the military announced the deployment of missiles on the Telegram messaging app. Russian drones targeted the capital and areas in the northeast and south, the air force said.

The air raid warning remained in effect in the capital for nearly four hours after it was launched. There was no report of any damage or power outage.

Russia did not comment on the attacks.

On Thursday night, Russia struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and stepped up attacks on the southern region of Odessa, where Ukraine’s main ports are located.

Amid ongoing violent conflict, territory remains the biggest diplomatic hurdle. In his statement to journalists in Kiev, Zelenskyy said that the 20-article draft of the campaign to finalize the US-led peace plan has been 90 percent completed.

He said that the security guarantee agreement between Ukraine and the United States is almost ready; this was an important element after the guarantees of the early post-Soviet years became meaningless.

“A lot of things can be decided before the new year,” Zelenskyy told Politico.

Trump said that the driving force behind the process was the United States.

“You don’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico. “Then we’ll see what you’ve got.”

Zelenskyy told Axios that the United States has offered a 15-year agreement subject to renewal on security guarantees, but Kiev wants a longer agreement with legally binding provisions to guard against further Russian aggression.

Trump said he believes Sunday’s meeting will go well. He also said he expected to talk to Putin “soon, as much as I want.”

In addition to the region, control of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which was captured by Russia in the first weeks of the war, is also a critical point.

Moscow demands that Ukraine withdraw from areas in the eastern region of Donetsk that Russian troops have failed to occupy in efforts to secure the entire Donbas, which includes the Luhansk region.

Kyiv wants clashes to stop on existing lines.

According to the US compromise, a free economic zone would be established if Ukraine abandons parts of the Donetsk region, but the details have not yet been determined.

Axios quoted Zelenskyy as saying he was ready to put the 20-point plan to a referendum if he could not force the United States to support Ukraine’s “strong” position on the territorial issue; As long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire that will allow Ukraine to prepare and hold a vote.

He said he wanted more pressure to be applied to Russia.

According to the Interfax-Russia news agency, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Kiev’s version of the 20-point plan differs from what Russia has discussed with the United States.

But he expressed optimism that matters had reached a “turning point” in the search for a solution.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov met with members of the Trump administration after Moscow received proposals from the United States regarding a possible peace deal, the Kremlin said Friday. It was not disclosed how Moscow viewed the documents.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by William Mallard)