Zelenskyy Confirms 'Near Future' Meeting With Trump as Peace Talks Continue Amid Ongoing Fighting

Kyiv — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump will take place "in the near future," calling it a sign of progress in efforts to find a diplomatic end to the nearly four‑year war with Russia.

"We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level — with President Trump in the near future," Zelenskyy wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that "a lot can be decided before the New Year." He also said he had a "good conversation" with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner.

Diplomatic Push and Sticking Points

President Trump has intensified a diplomatic push to try to halt the conflict, but initiatives face sharply divergent demands from Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy indicated he could consider withdrawing Ukrainian troops from parts of the industrial east — notably areas of the Donbas — if Russia also withdraws and those zones are turned into internationally monitored demilitarized areas.

So far, Moscow has shown no sign it would cede territory it holds. Russian officials have demanded that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory Kyiv controls in the Donbas; Ukraine has rejected that ultimatum. Russia already controls most of Luhansk and roughly 70% of Donetsk.

Fighting Continues

Clashes and strikes continued across multiple fronts. Local officials reported that a guided aerial bomb struck a house in Zaporizhzhia region, killing one person and wounding three. A separate missile strike in the city of Uman injured six civilians. Overnight drone attacks on Mykolaiv and surrounding suburbs cut power to parts of the city, while energy and port infrastructure were damaged by drones in the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Ukraine said its forces struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region on Thursday using British‑supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Ukraine’s General Staff reported "multiple explosions" and that the target was hit; Rostov regional governor Yuri Slyusar said a firefighter was wounded extinguishing the blaze. Kyiv officials say strikes on Russian energy infrastructure aim to reduce Moscow’s oil export revenue, while Russian attacks on Ukrainian power systems seek to deprive civilians of heat and water in what Kyiv calls an attempt to "weaponize winter."

Outlook

With leaders and envoys engaged in talks, a top‑level meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump could accelerate negotiations — but key disagreements remain over territory and security guarantees. For now, diplomatic activity is unfolding alongside continued hostilities on the ground.