Key Takeaway: Zelenskyy says initial U.S. peace drafts include nearly 90% of Kyiv’s demands but concedes neither side will get everything it wants. The U.S. package features a 20-point plan and security guarantees, including a bilateral U.S. pledge Kyiv wants reviewed by Congress. Fighting continues: Ukraine reports strikes deep inside Russia and Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and drone assaults.
Zelenskyy: U.S. Drafts Meet Nearly 90% Of Kyiv’s Demands As Fighting Escalates
In this photo taken on Saturday Dec. 20, 2025 and provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier walks through the ruins of the town of Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that initial U.S. proposals for a peace settlement with Russia incorporate nearly 90% of Kyiv’s demands, but he warned that neither side is likely to get everything it seeks as talks continue.
Negotiations: A 20-Point Core and Security Guarantees
Zelenskyy described recent discussions with U.S. officials as "quite solid at this stage," noting that the U.S. package centers on a 20-point plan. The proposals include a multilateral framework for security guarantees involving Ukraine, European states and the United States, plus a separate bilateral U.S. security-guarantee document for Ukraine. Kyiv insists that the bilateral guarantee be subject to review by the U.S. Congress, with some annexes kept classified.
“Overall, it looks quite solid at this stage,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv, while adding that there are provisions Ukraine and Russia may not be ready to accept.
U.S. envoys are now in talks with Russian representatives; Washington has requested that details remain confidential for the time being. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff described recent meetings with Ukrainian and European delegates as "productive and constructive."
Fighting Continues: Strikes, Sabotage, and Energy Attacks
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said defensive lines are holding despite a recent intensification of Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials reported a series of strikes inside Russian territory that they say damaged an oil terminal, a pipeline, two parked fighter jets and two ships. The strikes are part of Kyiv’s efforts to disrupt Russia’s logistics and undermine Moscow’s claims of negotiating from a position of strength.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported hits on facilities including the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, an ammunition depot and an attack-drone launch site. A Ukrainian-made missile reportedly struck a temporary base for Russia’s 92nd River Boat Brigade in occupied Crimea’s Olenivka. Ukrainian partisan units also said they set fire to two Russian jets at a base near Lipetsk.
Investigators in Moscow said a top Russian general was killed by a car bomb on Monday; initial reports suggested suspicion of Ukrainian involvement, a claim Kyiv has not publicly confirmed.
Energy Infrastructure and Drone Attacks
Russian forces continued to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure in what Kyiv calls efforts to "weaponize winter," striking energy facilities across five regions overnight. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 86 drones of various types; Ukrainian defenses intercepted 58.
Context: U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed for a negotiated settlement in recent months, but sharp differences between Kyiv and Moscow remain. The U.S. diplomatic effort aims to bridge those gaps, though key issues are unresolved and some draft provisions may still be unacceptable to one or both sides.
