Image source, Getty Images

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any European troops on the ground in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target".

In an interview with Russian news agency Tass published on the news agency's site earlier today, Lavrov tells European leaders "there is no need to be afraid of Russia attacking anyone".

But he adds that "should anyone consider attacking Russia, they would face a devastating blow".

As a reminder, some countries in the "coalition of the willing" - a group of Kyiv allies who say their aim is to secure a durable peace deal in Ukraine - have expressed willingness to put boots on the ground in the country in the event of a ceasefire.

On today's talks between Trump and Zelensky, Lavrov says Russia "appreciates" the US president's efforts to reach a deal, but warns that Zelensky is "not ready to engage in constructive talks".

Image source, PA Media

We've just heard more from Downing Street on the call that took place earlier between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In a statement, No 10 says the PM "reaffirmed the United Kingdom's unwavering support for Ukraine and its commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace".

Downing Street adds that Starmer condemned the recent Russian drone attacks on Kyiv.

And it says both Starmer and Zelensky "welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts and commended President Trump's continued engagement in securing peace" ahead of today's Mar-a-Lago summit.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Washington DC

For most of the US and global public, the sight of "official" events inside Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida may seem unusual. We mostly see these sorts of foreign leader visits inside the Oval Office at the White House.

Traditionally, however, US presidents spend much of the end of the year at holiday destinations. Joe Biden, for example, was in the US Virgin Islands at around this time last year.

Trump, for his part, has been in Florida since 19 December. He arrived in West Palm Beach that night following a rally in North Carolina.

While the trip has included long golf outings at the nearby Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, the president has been working for much of his visit.

Just last Monday, I was at an event where Trump - alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth - unveiled a new "Trump-class" battleship as part of the US Navy's revamped "Golden Fleet".

While out in Palm Beach, I came across Republican strategists and political allies who were in town alongside Trump. It's a sign of how important the resort, dubbed the "Winter White House" by some, has become.

Image source, Reuters

We've just reported that Trump said he spoke on the phone with Putin ahead of meeting Zelensky. We're also expecting a further round of negotiations between Washington and Moscow in the coming days.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed further talks would take place between Russian and American delegations, following a meeting involving Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida earlier in December.

In an interview with Russian news agency Tass published today, the country's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia "appreciates" the US president's efforts to reach a deal, but warned that Zelensky was "not ready to engage in constructive talks".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has had mixed fortunes on the two previous occasions he's met with Donald Trump at the White House.

28 February 2025: A bruising Oval Office clash

• Seated in front of the Oval Office fire, temperatures quickly escalated as Zelensky received a dressing down from Trump in front of the world's media
• US Vice-President JD Vance accused Ukraine's leader of being disrespectful after Zelensky warned the US might feel the effects of Russia's aggression in the future
• "You don't have the cards right now," Trump responded, and warned Zelensky that he is "gambling with World War Three" by not starting peace talks with Russia
• Ukraine's leader left the White House well ahead of schedule soon after, and Trump took to social media where he said Zelensky "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office"

18 August 2025: Common ground found on security guarantees

• The White House meeting followed Trump's Alaska summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin - which failed to result in a ceasefire agreement
• And, after February's fiasco, Zelensky launched a charm offensive - donning a dark suit and handing a letter from his wife to US First Lady Melania Trump
• Trump told Zelensky that while Europe was the "first line of defence" against future Russian assaults the US would give Ukraine "good protection" as part of any peace deal
• This included the agreement of a $90bn (£67bn) arms deal between the countries, Zelensky told reporters

Samira Hussain
Reporting from Kyiv

While world leaders are preparing for another round of high-stakes talks, I've spoken to vendors at a Christmas market in Kyiv, where life continues after a recent Russian bombardment.

At one stall I meet Helen Petukhova, who excitedly tells me the chocolates she is selling are vegan: “No refined sugar!”

Helen says she hopes for peace. She says her husband’s family lives in the Donbas, and that she doesn’t want to have to give up any territory in Ukraine - but accepts it may be hard to keep the region at the heart of peace negotiations.

“If we are talking about a loss of lives, sure, maybe it is better to leave some territory," she says.

Maksym Kovalenko, who is selling hot sauce at his stall, says he doesn’t think there will be peace for a very long time.

"We live near Russia and their government wants to flush Ukrainians from planet earth,” he says.

He is not hopeful this meeting between Zelensky and Trump will yield a peace deal. "It’s just noise," he says of the politics at play.

Trump has taken to Truth Social to say he's spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Zelensky later today.

"I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia," Trump says on the platform.

He adds that the meeting with Zelensky will take place in the main dining room of Mar-a-Lago and that journalists are invited to attend.

The Kremlin has also confirmed that the call between the two leaders took place.

Separately, in an earlier post, Trump lauds the role of his administration as a global peacemaker, referencing a newly agreed ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, and suggesting the United Nations has been of "little assistance" in resolving conflicts, including Ukraine.

"Perhaps the United States has become the REAL United Nations," he says.

Image source, EBU

After arriving in Florida, Zelensky held a phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"We discussed preparations for the meeting with President Trump, as well as all our contacts with European partners," Zelensky wrote on X earlier today.

"I informed him on the situation on the frontline and on the consequences of Russian strikes."

Zelensky will soon make his way to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, where the pair will hold talks on finding a peace deal for Ukraine.

How will the success or failure of today's talks be measured?published at 16:44 GMT 28 December 2025

16:44 GMT 28 December 2025

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

What we'll find out today is how successful the US is in making Ukraine accept some of Russia's key demands - such as giving up territory - in exchange for promises to protect Ukraine should Russia attack again.

The proposed security guarantees that have been made public so far - including those contained in the 20-point plan unveiled by Volodymyr Zelensky last week - fall short of anything that would make Vladimir Putin stop.

Russia's ongoing attacks and the aggressive rhetoric coming from Moscow also suggest that its objectives and appetites have not changed.

It has also on numerous occasions rejected key proposals mentioned by Zelensky - a ceasefire, or a deployment to Ukraine of an international force to monitor it.

All this means is that a firm indication of lasting peace in Ukraine is not something we should expect today.

Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will shortly meet US President Donald Trump in Florida as part of ongoing efforts to reach a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

The pair are due to meet at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence from about 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT), and are expected to discuss outstanding issues on territory and possible security guarantees.

Posting earlier on Telegram, Zelensky said "a lot can be decided before the New Year" and solutions depended "on those who help Ukraine and on those who put pressure on Russia so that the Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression".

The latest round of talks comes as Kyiv continues to recover from an intense bombardment of Russian drones and missiles overnight from Friday into Saturday, killing two people and leaving dozens more injured.

Stay with us as we bring you more from our reporters in Ukraine and the US ahead of the talks.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Last night was a sleepless one for Ukrainians in the capital city of Kyiv, who faced an almost 10-hour bombardment of Russian drones and missiles that lasted into the morning.

It was the latest in a string of Christmas-time strikes by Russia. Ukraine said that almost 500 drones and 40 missiles were launched towards Kyiv - leaving at least two dead and 32 others injured.

As about a third of the city grapples with a loss of electricity from the strikes - in freezing winter temperatures - one resident says that her life is like "a lottery - will it hit or not". And a BBC journalist describes the "awful" moment her building was struck as she was in the lift. That's the situation on the ground.

In the air, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is travelling to Florida for peace talks with the US on Sunday.

During a brief pit stop in Canada - where he clinched an additional $2.5bn of aid from its prime minister -Zelensky said he hoped for a "constructive meeting" with US President Donald Trump.

Up for discussion is a revised US-Ukrainian 20-point peace plan that includes a potential proposal to turn the Donbas - one of the stickiest negotiating points - into a "free economic zone".

Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine is "not in a hurry" to end the war, and threatened more force to do so.

As our correspondent in Kyiv Samira Hussain writes, a lot hinges on tomorrow's meeting - including whether what Zelensky has to say is enough to get Trump on board.

We'll be pausing our coverage shortly but you can follow the latest development in our story.

Sean Dilley
North America Correspondent, in Washington

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

President Trump and his team are likely to be watching closely as European leaders and Canada’s PM Mark Carney back Ukraine.

Presidents Trump and Zelensky are due to meet for face-to-face talks in Florida tomorrow with the future of land in the Donbas region and security guarantees likely to feature highly.

The meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders reflects the reality that Donald Trump is widely seen as the man who could broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow - and it’s a significant moment as recent US negotiations have been conducted by senior officials.

Tomorrow’s meeting though is likely to be rougher than tonight’s call between President Zelensky and European leaders.

Trump has repeatedly refused to take sides and he’s expressed his concerns that Ukrainian elections that were due in May 2024 have been suspended. President Zelensky has said elections could take place within 90 days if the security of the process could be guaranteed.

Zelensky says he’s happy with 90% of the current proposals but Russia recently said elements remained unacceptable.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he can see that Ukraine's leaders "are not in a hurry" to end the war using peaceful means.

He also says that if Kyiv is "unwilling to resolve this [conflict] peacefully" then Russia will resolve it "through a special military operation by force".

The comments were made while the Russian premier was visiting an unspecified military command post.

Image source, Reuters

We can now bring you more from Kyiv residents following the latest onslaught of Russian drones and missiles targeting the Ukrainian capital.

Taisiia Vysoka, 62, tells Reuters the strikes damaged her flat: "Everything is cracked here. All the hinges popped out". While the water supply was partially restored, she says there is no heating.

"We live as if in a lottery - will it hit or will it not?" Taisiia says. "I can't take it anymore... Something has to be done."

Her husband Oleksandr says he hopes peace negotiations will take Ukrainian interests into account.

"We cannot reduce our military and our armed forces, because we all understand that the aggressor will not stop," he says.

As we've been reporting, Zelensky has detailed some points earlier this week of an updated peace plan drafted by US and Ukrainian envoys. But there are still some obstacles to overcome.

Territory has been an impasse in peace negotiations so far, particularly when it comes to an area called Donbas.

What is Donbas?

Located in eastern Ukraine, it's made up of two regions - or oblasts - called Luhansk and Donetsk.

It's on the front line of the conflict. Russia has been trying to get full control of the area, and currently holds more than three quarters of the area.

A log jam in peace talks

• Russia demands: That Ukraine pulls out of almost a quarter of its own territory in the eastern Donetsk region in return for a peace deal. The rest is already under Russian occupation
• Ukraine is against withdrawing: But Zelensky told reporters this week that a demilitarised zone or a free economic zone could be a potential option, though he stressed that the area would have to be policed by Ukraine
• Zelensky's caveat: If Ukraine was prepared to pull its heavy forces back - for example by five, 10 or 40km - then Russia would have to do the same "accordingly by five, 10, or 40km"

• Putin's warning: Earlier this month, he said that if Ukrainian troops did not pull out of Donetsk, Russia would take the entire east of Ukraine by force

In our last post, the BBC's Samira Hussain said the possibility of a referendum and elections in Ukraine are also key questions Volodymyr Zelensky is facing as he works on securing a peace deal with Russia.

Earlier this week, Zelensky insisted that a referendum would need to be held in Ukraine before a peace deal is finalised - especially if territorial concessions are included in the agreement.

The establishment of an economic zone in the Donbas region could be part of an eventual peace plan - but this is an idea that would also require a referendum under the Ukrainian constitution.

Elections have also been a point of contention since the start of the war.

Zelensky was first elected to the position of president in 2019. His five-year term was due to end in May 2024, but elections have been suspended since martial law was declared after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

After Donald Trump repeated claims that Kyiv is "using war" to avoid holding a vote on its leader, Zelensky has said Ukraine is "ready for elections" if it gets security guarantees in a peace deal.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Zelensky said elections could be held in the next 60 to 90 days if security for the vote was guaranteed with the help of the US and other allies.

Image source, EPA

A lot hinges on tomorrow's meetingpublished at 17:48 GMT 27 December 2025

17:48 GMT 27 December 2025

Samira Hussain
Reporting from Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelensky is bringing a message to Donald Trump: that Ukraine is absolutely interested in peace, and that he has 90% of a ready plan.

But he takes that plan to the US as Russia continues to send a barrage of drones and missiles to Ukraine.

A lot hinges on a meeting between Zelensky and Trump tomorrow, including whether what the former has to say is enough to get Trump on board.

Remember, Trump has made it very clear that he is the ultimate arbiter of peace between Russia and Ukraine.

There are a few things Zelensky wants to discuss, including security guarantees and territorial concessions.

There is still no real reaction to the proposal to have either a demilitarised zone in the Donbas region, or a free economic zone. That would require both Russia and Ukraine to withdraw.

Rehabilitation for Ukraine is also up for discussion at the meeting, including what that might look like. And finally, there's the question of a referendum and eventual elections.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Radio-Canada / Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Zelensky thanks Carney for his support. He says overnight strikes are "again Russia’s answer [to] our peace efforts and this really shows that Putin doesn’t want peace".

Zelensky adds that two things are needed to stop the war: "pressure on Russia" and "sufficient, strong support for Ukraine". He adds that while recent steps have been made, further diplomacy is needed.

He says he will speak with European allies later today and hopes to have a "very important" and "very constructive" meeting with Trump tomorrow.

Image source, Reuters

We're now bringing you live comments between Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who he's meeting in Nova Scotia ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump.

Carney starts by welcoming Zelensky to Canada, saying that under the Ukrainian President's leadership "we have the conditions and possibility for a just and lasting peace".

"But that requires a willing Russia," he says.

The attacks overnight on Kyiv show "just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine" and that "we create the conditions" for peace.

Carney then announces further economic assistance for Ukraine: $2.5bn to help the process of rebuilding.

Image source, Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Following the overnight strikes, 50,000 homes are without electricity in the Kyiv region, Ukraine's largest energy company says.

Russia caused "serious damage" to the region's energy infrastructure, says DTEK Group in an update on Telegram.

It adds that its crews are "working non-stop" to restore electricity to all homes.

This follows comments from the head of Ukraine's national oil and gas company, Naftogaz, saying that Russia had hit its production facilities.

CEO Sergii Koretskyi had accused Russia of "trying to exploit the freezing weather", saying that "it is clear that these attacks are synchronized with the drop in temperatures".