Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits Russia’s response to US peace plan proposal as diplomatic efforts intensify alongside renewed fighting and worsening humanitarian conditions across multiple Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv has completed its assessment of the United States-backed peace plan and is now waiting for Moscow’s official reply.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian negotiators had worked through each clause of the proposal finalised during talks held recently in Miami.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that the framework reflects compromises made in consultation with international partners while safeguarding Ukraine’s core sovereignty principles.
According to Zelenskyy, Washington has assured Kyiv that Russia’s response is expected imminently following diplomatic backchannel engagements.
The peace proposal reportedly outlines phased ceasefire arrangements, security guarantees, humanitarian access, and mechanisms for post-war reconstruction.
However, territorial questions remain the most sensitive aspect of the negotiations, with Zelenskyy insisting such matters require direct leader-level discussions.
He said Ukraine is prepared to hold high-level talks with the United States, including a possible meeting with President Donald Trump, to resolve unresolved territorial disputes.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not accept any agreement legitimising territorial changes achieved through military force.
While diplomacy unfolds, hostilities on the ground continue unabated, highlighting the gap between negotiation rooms and battlefield realities.
In southern Ukraine, local authorities in Zaporizhia reported at least one civilian death following renewed Russian shelling and drone attacks.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, also came under attack, with strikes hitting energy infrastructure and causing significant power disruptions.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said thermal power plants were damaged, forcing authorities to impose emergency electricity rationing across several districts.
Ukraine’s state energy operator, Ukrenergo, confirmed emergency outages in multiple regions as temperatures dropped during the winter season.
The company urged residents with electricity access to conserve usage while engineers worked to stabilise the national grid.
Energy infrastructure has increasingly become a focal point of Russian attacks, raising concerns about civilian hardship during the cold months.
In eastern Ukraine, the government ordered mandatory evacuations of children and their families from nineteen settlements in the Donetsk region.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said the decision followed assessments showing rapidly deteriorating security conditions.
Specialised evacuation teams using armoured vehicles have been deployed to extract civilians from frontline communities.
Authorities also approved the relocation of approximately two hundred people with limited mobility from care facilities in Zaporizhia.
Those evacuees are being transferred to western regions, where transit centres provide medical support, accommodation, and financial assistance.
Ukraine currently operates seventeen transit centres nationwide to manage displacement caused by continued fighting.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military reported conducting overnight strikes against targets inside Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Officials said Ukrainian drones struck a synthetic rubber plant in Russia’s Tula region, allegedly linked to military production chains.
The military claimed the facility produces materials used in explosives and solid rocket fuel.
Explosions and a large fire were reported at the site, though Russian authorities have not independently confirmed the extent of damage.
Ukraine also said it targeted a storage facility for marine drones in Russian-occupied Crimea during the same operation.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence acknowledged increased Ukrainian drone activity and said several drones were intercepted overnight.
In southwestern Russia’s Orenburg region, officials confirmed minor damage to industrial infrastructure following a Ukrainian drone strike.
Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said debris from a downed drone fell in a populated area, prompting emergency response measures.
No casualties were reported, though authorities said investigations were ongoing.
Russia, meanwhile, claimed battlefield gains in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region.
The Defence Ministry said its forces had captured the settlement of Zarechnoye after advancing through Ukrainian defensive positions.
Russian officials released aerial footage showing strikes and troop movements, claiming nine square kilometres were secured.
Ukraine has not confirmed the claim, maintaining that fighting remains fluid across multiple front lines.
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Russia also reported heavy combat in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions.
The ministry claimed extensive strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy infrastructure, and transport networks.
Moscow said Western-supplied weapons systems were destroyed during the operations.
Ukraine has disputed similar claims in the past, cautioning against relying solely on Russian battlefield reports.
Security tensions extended into Russia itself, as an explosion in southern Moscow killed two traffic police officers and another person.
Investigators said the blast occurred near the site where a Russian general was killed earlier in the week.
Authorities have not disclosed who was responsible, but security has been tightened in parts of the capital.
On the political front, Russia continues to emphasise its mobilisation efforts.
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said more than 417,000 Russians signed military contracts this year.
Medvedev added that over 36,000 volunteers had joined formations deployed to the conflict zone.
The recruitment figures underline Moscow’s determination to sustain its military campaign despite international sanctions.
Religious leaders have renewed calls for de-escalation during the holiday period.
Pope Leo XIV urged a global Christmas truce, expressing sorrow over continued violence in Ukraine.
He appealed for compassion and restraint, particularly as civilians endure winter hardships.
Analysts say the coming days will be crucial in determining whether diplomacy can gain traction.
They note that both Russia and Ukraine face operational fatigue, economic strain, and mounting humanitarian costs.
Despite this, deep mistrust continues to complicate negotiations.
Ukraine insists that any agreement must include enforceable security guarantees and accountability mechanisms.
Western allies remain cautious, stressing that peace efforts must not reward aggression.
European governments are also debating the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Washington has framed the peace plan as a starting point rather than a final settlement.
Officials emphasise that implementation would require sustained international oversight.
For now, Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits Russia’s response to US peace plan proposal as fighting continues across land, air, and infrastructure.
Whether Moscow’s reply will open a path toward de-escalation remains uncertain.
As winter deepens, civilians on both sides bear the growing human cost of a war entering another year.
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