President Volodymyr Zelensky has ditched his hopes of Ukraine joining Nato in a bid for a peace deal ahead of crunch talks.
The Ukrainian president relinquished his ambition of joining the military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees, saying it is “a compromise” to end the war with Russia.
The move marks a major shift for Ukraine as Zelensky, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Berlin on Sunday for another round of negotiations.
The talks, which European officials will also attend, come as Ukraine's navy accused Russia of deliberately attacking a civilian Turkish vessel carrying sunflower oil to Egypt with a drone.
In a statement on Telegram, the navy said the vessel was called the Viva and had 11 Turkish citizens on board. It added that nobody was hurt and the vessel was continuing its journey to Egypt.
On Friday, Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels, according to Ukraine's navy. A large fire broke out on one of those ships.
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Key Points
- Zelensky ditches Nato ambition ahead of peace talks
- Zelensky prepares for meeting with Trump's peace representatives
- Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks
- More than one million lose power in Ukraine after Russian attack
- EU agrees to indefinitely freeze Russian assets worth €210bn
Russia downs hundreds of Ukrainian drones
14:56 , Athena StavrouRussia's Defense Ministry said that air defences downed 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday.
In the Belgorod region, a drone injured a man and set his house ablaze in the village of Yasnye Zori, the regional governor said.
Authorities also said Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Uryupinsk in the Volgograd region, triggering a fire.
In the Krasnodar region, Ukrainian drones attacked the town of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located. Authorities said that explosions shattered windows in residential buildings, but didn't report any damage to the refinery.
High security presence in Berlin ahead of crunch peace talks
14:30 , Athena Stavrou.jpeg)
European allies describe 'critical moment' for Ukraine ahead of peace talks
14:00 , Tara CobhamBritain, France and Germany have been working to refine the US proposals, which, in a draft disclosed last month, called for Kyiv to cede more territory, abandon its ambition to join Nato and accept limits on its armed forces.
European allies have described this as a "critical moment" that could shape Ukraine's future, and sought to shore up Kyiv's finances by leveraging frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Kyiv's military and civilian budget.
Thousands still without power in Ukraine
13:57 , Athena StavrouUkraine and Russia have continued to exchange fire ahead of crunch talks in Berlin.
Ukraine's air force said that Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones overnight.
The air force said 110 had been intercepted or downed, but missile and drone hits were recorded at six locations.
Zelensky said on Sunday that hundreds of thousands of families were still without power in the south, east and north-east regions and work was continuing to restore electricity, heat and water to multiple regions following a large-scale attack the previous night.
The Ukrainian president said that in the past week, Russia had launched over 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine.
Kremlin says Nato's Rutte is irresponsible to talk of war with Russia
13:30 , Tara CobhamThe Kremlin has said on Sunday that Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte's remarks about preparing for war with Russia were irresponsible and showed that he did not really understand the devastation wrought by World War Two.
Rutte, in a speech in Berlin on Thursday, said that Nato should be "prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured" and asserted that "we are Russia's next target”.
The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed claims by NATO and some European leaders that it plans to attack a NATO member as "nonsense" used by European leaders to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.
"This seems like a statement by a representative of a generation that has managed to forget what World War Two was actually like," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.
"They have no understanding, and unfortunately, Mr Rutte, making such irresponsible statements, simply does not understand what he is talking about."
Zelensky says US not yet responded to revised peace proposals
13:00 , Tara CobhamVolodymyr Zelensky has said he has had no US reaction yet to revised peace proposals.
Zelensky and US envoys arrive in Berlin for crunch peace talks
12:27 , Tara CobhamUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoys have arrived in Berlin for another round of talks intended to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv stuck to their sharply opposite views of a prospective peace deal.
US president Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were spotted entering a hotel in central Berlin on Sunday.
Mr Zelensky said that Ukrainian, US and European officials would hold a series of meetings in the German capital.
"Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace - a political agreement to end the war," Mr Zelensky said in an address to the nation late on Saturday.
Ukraine military says it has struck Russian oil facilities
12:19 , Tara CobhamUkraine’s military has said it has struck Russian oil facilities.
It said it had hit a Russian oil refinery in the Krasnodar region as well as a Russian oil depot in the Volgograd region.
Russia captures another eastern Ukrainian village, defence ministry says
12:17 , Tara CobhamRussia's defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces had captured the village of Varvarivka in Ukraine's eastern Zaporizhzhia region.
The battlefield reports cannot be independently verified.
Zelensky ditches Nato ambition ahead of peace talks
11:58 , Tara CobhamUkraine has relinquished its ambition of joining the Nato military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ahead of talks with US envoys in Berlin.
The move marks a major shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration included in its constitution. It also meets one of Russia's war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.
Zelensky said on Sunday that the US, and European and other partners' security guarantees instead of NATO membership was a compromise on Ukraine's side.
"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join Nato, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction," he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
"Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries, Canada, Japan, are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion," Zelenskiy said.
"And it is already a compromise from our part," he said, adding that the security guarantees should be legally binding.
Issue of territory remains unresolved as Zelensky says ceasefire along current frontlines would be fair
11:55 , Tara CobhamPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia along the current frontline would be a fair option.
Russia has demanded Kyiv withdraw its troops from parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions that Ukraine still holds. Answering questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat, Zelensky reiterated that option would be unfair, adding that the issue of territory remained unresolved and very sensitive.
Watch: Trump says US will attend Ukraine peace talks with Europe but doesn’t want to ‘waste time’
09:00 , Tara CobhamZelensky says services working to restore electricity, heating and water supply
08:42 , Tara CobhamVolodymyr Zelensky has said services have been working to restore electricity, heating and water supply to regions.
It comes after Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the weekend.
Germany to host Zelensky as European leaders seek to steer peace negotiations
08:13 , Tara CobhamGermany is set to host Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday for talks as peace efforts gain momentum and European leaders seek to steer negotiations.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also meet with the Ukrainian President in Berlin.
For months, American negotiators have tried to navigate the demands of each side as US President Donald Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war while growing increasingly exasperated by delays.
The search for possible compromises has run into a major obstacle over who keeps Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russian forces.
Russia downs 235 Ukrainian drones overnight, defence ministry says
07:35 , Tara CobhamRussia's defence ministry said on Sunday that air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 235 Ukrainian drones overnight.
An oil depot caught fire in Uryupinsk in Volgograd region due to fallen drone debris, a regional governor said.
At least ten Russian airports, including in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, imposed temporary flight restrictions during the night, according to the aviation regulator.
Zelensky prepares for meeting with Trump's peace representatives
07:07 , Arpan RaiA high-level meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is set to take place in Berlin tomorrow.
The top officials will be joined by the leaders of Germany, France and the UK to try and reach an agreement over the US plan for peace in Ukraine, two White House officials told Axios.
Confirming the meeting, Zelensky last night said: “I will have meetings with representatives of president Trump, as well as with our European partners, with many leaders about the foundation of peace – a political agreement on ending the war.”
“The chance is significant now… We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is worthy and that there is a guarantee – a guarantee, first of all, that Russia will not return to Ukraine with a third invasion,” he said.
In photos: Ukraine's Odesa plunges into darkness after Russian attacks
06:55 , Arpan Rai
Who is freed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski?
06:25 , Arpan RaiHuman rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski became a globally recognised symbol of resistance to the authoritarian rule of Lukashenko when he was awarded a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, only the fourth person to win the award while detained.
Many activists and opposition figures fled the country when Lukashenko used his security forces to crush mass pro-democracy protests in 2020, but Bialiatski decided to stay.
He was arrested in 2021. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of finance and smuggling charges related to the funding Viasna, the rights organisation that he founded.
He denied the accusations, insisting they were politically motivated.
More than one million lose power in Ukraine after Russian attack
05:55 , Arpan RaiIn Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure. Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said that over a million people were without electricity.
An attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.
Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call "weaponising" the cold.
On the front lines, Ukrainian forces said yesterday that the northern part of the critical city of Pokrovsk was under Ukrainian control, despite Russia's claims earlier this month that it had taken full control of the city.
Danish intelligence report warns of US military threat under Trump
05:25 , Arpan RaiThe United States is using its economic power to “assert its will" and threaten military force against friend and foe alike, a Danish intelligence agency said in a new report.
The Danish Defence Intelligence Service, in its latest annual assessment, said Washington's greater assertiveness under the Trump administration also comes as China and Russia seek to diminish Western, especially American, influence.
Perhaps most sensitive to Denmark — a Nato and European Union member country, and a US ally — is growing competition between those great powers in the Arctic.
US president Donald Trump has expressed a desire to see Greenland, a semiautonomous and mineral-rich territory of Denmark, become part of the United States, a move opposed by Russia and much of Europe.
“The strategic importance of the Arctic is rising as the conflict between Russia and the West intensifies, and the growing security and strategic focus on the Arctic by the United States will further accelerate these developments,” said the report.
US says it will lift some trade sanctions on Belarus
04:55 , Arpan RaiThe United States will lift sanctions on Belarusian potash in the latest sign of a thaw between Washington and the isolated autocracy.
John Coale, the US special envoy for Belarus, met the country’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko for talks in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Friday and Saturday.
A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been repeatedly sanctioned by Western countries both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Comment: Any Ukraine peace deal without Belarus risks Russian annexation
04:25 , Athena Stavrou
Any Ukraine peace deal without Belarus risks Russian annexation
Kremlin poses fresh ceasefire conditions
04:08 , Arpan RaiKremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov has reaffirmed that Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine's forces have withdrawn from parts of the Donetsk region that they still control.
Ukraine has consistently refused to cede the remaining part of the region to Russia.
Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard troops would stay in parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbas even if they become a demilitarised zone under a prospective peace plan — a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine as US-led negotiations drag on.
Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the US proposals that took into account Russian demands had been "worsened" by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.
"We don't know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren't for the better," Ushakov said, adding: "We will strongly insist on our considerations”.
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine needs ceasefire before elections can go ahead
04:29 , Arpan RaiZelensky prepares for meeting with Trump's peace representatives
03:53 , Arpan RaiA high-level meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is set to take place in Berlin tomorrow.
The top officials will be joined by the leaders of Germany, France and the UK to try and reach an agreement over the US plan for peace in Ukraine, two White House officials told Axios.
Confirming the meeting, Zelensky last night said: “I will have meetings with representatives of president Trump, as well as with our European partners, with many leaders about the foundation of peace – a political agreement on ending the war.”
“The chance is significant now… We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is worthy and that there is a guarantee – a guarantee, first of all, that Russia will not return to Ukraine with a third invasion,” he said.
Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks
03:36 , Arpan RaiMoscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes yesterday and Kyiv launched a deadly strike of its own on southwestern Russia, a day before talks involving senior European and US officials aimed at ending the war were set to resume.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian, US and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he will personally meet with US president Donald Trump's envoys.
“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of president Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war," Zelensky said in an address to the nation late last night.
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Who is freed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski?
03:21 , Athena StavrouHuman rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski became a globally recognised symbol of resistance to the authoritarian rule of Lukashenko when he was awarded a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, only the fourth person to win the award while detained.
Many activists and opposition figures fled the country when Lukashenko used his security forces to crush mass pro-democracy protests in 2020, but Bialiatski decided to stay.
He was arrested in 2021. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of finance and smuggling charges related to the funding Viasna, the rights organisation that he founded.
He denied the accusations, insisting they were politically motivated.
Peace is not far away, says Erdogan after Putin meeting
03:05 , Arpan RaiTurkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that "peace is not far away" after a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan met Putin in Turkmenistan on Friday, and they evaluated "comprehensive peace efforts" to end the war, a statement from Erdogan's office said.
"After this meeting with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to discuss the peace plan with US president Trump as well. Peace is not far away; we see that," Erdogan told reporters on his return flight from Turkmenistan.
Erdogan had told Putin on Friday that a limited ceasefire in the war, focused on energy facilities and ports in particular, could be beneficial.
Starmer and EU's von der Leyen discuss Ukraine peace plan, frozen Russian assets
02:58 , Arpan RaiPrime minister Keir Starmer and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen discussed work on US-led peace proposals for Ukraine and moves to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to help provide funds for Kyiv.
"Both agreed that this is a pivotal moment for Ukraine's future, and that Europe will stand with them for as long as it takes to achieve a just and lasting peace," a Downing Street spokesperson said after the two leaders spoke.
How Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars unravelled
01:57 , Athena StavrouThe US president boldly claimed to have solved thorny disputes between adversaries including Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, and Israel and Lebanon.
But experts tell Alex Croft that his peace agreements do not stand up to scrutiny:
President of Peace? How Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars unravelled
Recap: Russian police will stay on in Ukraine's Donbas even if peace deal ends war, Kremlin adviser says
00:28 , Athena StavrouKremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine's Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia's nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
This underscores Moscow's ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war.
Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as US-led negotiations drag on.
Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine's forces have withdrawn from the front line, Ushakov said in comments published in Russian business daily Kommersant.
Full story: Drone attack kills two in Russia as peace talks with Ukraine press on
Saturday 13 December 2025 23:39 , Athena Stavrou
Drone attack kills two in Russia as peace talks with Ukraine press on
Latest pictures from Russia and Ukraine
Saturday 13 December 2025 22:46 , Athena Stavrou
Watch: Trump says US will attend Ukraine peace talks with Europe but doesn’t want to ‘waste time’
Saturday 13 December 2025 22:04 , Athena StavrouPower cuts in Ukraine after drone strikes
Saturday 13 December 2025 21:31 , Athena StavrouIn Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure.
Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said that over a million people were without electricity.
Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call "weaponising" the cold.
Comment: Any Ukraine peace deal without Belarus risks Russian annexation
Saturday 13 December 2025 20:41 , Daniel KeaneAny Ukraine peace deal without Belarus risks Russian annexation
Zelensky says he will meet US and European representatives in Berlin
Saturday 13 December 2025 20:09 , Daniel KeaneUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he would meet US and European representatives in Berlin to discuss "fundamentals of peace."
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed a "dignified" peace and a guarantee that Russia, which invaded his country in 2022, would not attack again.
Germany said earlier on Saturday that it would host U.S. and Ukrainian delegations over the weekend for talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine, before a summit involving European leaders and Zelensky in Berlin on Monday.
Starmer and EU's von der Leyen discuss Ukraine peace plan
Saturday 13 December 2025 19:29 , Daniel KeanePrime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday discussed work on U.S.-led proposals for Ukraine and moves to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to help provide funds for Kyiv.
"Both agreed that this is a pivotal moment for Ukraine's future, and that Europe will stand with them for as long as it takes to achieve a just and lasting peace," a Downing Street spokesperson said after the two leaders spoke.
Peace is not far away, says Erdogan after Putin meeting
Saturday 13 December 2025 19:03 , Daniel KeaneTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that "peace is not far away" after a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan met Putin in Turkmenistan on Friday, and they evaluated "comprehensive peace efforts" to end the war, a statement from Erdogan's office said on Friday.
"After this meeting with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to discuss the peace plan with U.S. President Trump as well. Peace is not far away; we see that," Erdogan told reporters on his return flight from Turkmenistan.
Erdogan had told Putin on Friday that a limited ceasefire in the war, focused on energy facilities and ports in particular, could be beneficial.
Who is freed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski?
Saturday 13 December 2025 18:34 , Daniel KeaneHuman rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski became a globally recognised symbol of resistance to the authoritarian rule of Lukashenko when he was awarded a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, only the fourth person to win the award while detained.
Many activists and opposition figures fled the country when Lukashenko used his security forces to crush mass pro-democracy protests in 2020, but Bialiatski decided to stay.
He was arrested in 2021. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of finance and smuggling charges related to the funding Viasna, the rights organisation that he founded.
He denied the accusations, insisting they were politically motivated.
US says Belarus agreed to stop balloon flyovers into Lithuania
Saturday 13 December 2025 18:07 , Daniel KeanePresident Donald Trump's envoy John Coale has said that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania.
"He agreed recently to do everything he could to stop the balloons," Coale told Reuters in Vilnius, after two days of talks with Lukashenko.
The balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months.
At least two killed in drone attack in southwest Russia
Saturday 13 December 2025 17:40 , Daniel KeaneAt least two people were killed in a drone attack in Russia's southwestern Saratov region, and parts of Ukraine went without power after targeted assaults on energy infrastructure, local authorities said on Saturday, as US-led peace talks on ending the war press on.
The drone attack damaged a residential building and several windows were also blown out at a nursery and clinic, said Saratov regional governor Roman Busargin.
Russia's defence ministry said it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.
Russia accused of deliberately striking Turkish civilian vessel
Saturday 13 December 2025 17:40 , Daniel KeaneUkraine's navy has accused Russia of deliberately attacking a civilian Turkish vessel carrying sunflower oil to Egypt with a drone.
In a statement on Telegram, the navy said vessel was called the Viva and had 11 Turkish citizens on board. It added that nobody was hurt and the vessel was continuing its journey to Egypt.
"The strike was carried out in the open sea in Ukraine's exclusive economic zone, outside the range of Ukrainian air defence systems," the statement said, accusing Russia of breaching maritime laws.
How Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars unravelled
Saturday 13 December 2025 17:10 , Daniel KeaneThe US president boldly claimed to have solved thorny disputes between adversaries including Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, and Israel and Lebanon. But experts tell Alex Croft that his peace agreements do not stand up to scrutiny.
President of Peace? How Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars unravelled
