After days of intense negotiations over a US-backed peace plan, Volodymyr Zelenskyy could visit the US as soon as this week to finalise a deal. But as peace efforts gain pace, Kyiv and Moscow continue to trade deadly attacks. Follow the latest.
Tuesday 25 November 2025 10:45, UK
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A senior official for the United Arab Emirates has been asked about reported talks between US, Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi.
A diplomatic adviser to President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said they would not comment on Russia or Ukraine, but the UAE was happy to facilitate in every way it can.
Earlier, the Kremlin said it had “nothing to say” on the talks that reportedly include US army secretary Dan Driscoll.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is speaking to reporters after meeting the Belarusian foreign minister.
He says that while Moscow welcomes the original 28-point peace plan, it will be a “completely different situation” if amendments do not reflect the spirit and letter of talks between Putin and Trump in Alaska.
Russia is waiting for what he called an “interim” proposal, following European and Ukrainian alterations.
As we’ve been reporting, both Ukraine and Russia suffered fierce attacks in major urban areas last night.
At least six people were killed in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, according it its mayor, with residential buildings badly damaged.
Meanwhile, a major Ukrainian drone attack left three dead and 16 injured across two Russian cities and a Black Sea port, local officials said.
Watch the footage of the aftermath here…
Ukraine’s military has shared updates of several attacks carried out on Russia’s border regions.
It says its forces hit an oil refinery in the southwest Krasnodar region and an oil terminal in the port of Novorossiysk, which lies on the Black Sea.
Devices for loading and unloading oil onto tankers were ht in the strikes.
A Russian A-60 reconnaissance aircraft was also hit during a strike on the Beriev military plant, it added.
It comes after Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the region was subjected to “one of the longest major attacks” by Kyiv last night, with three killed and 16 injured (see 06.19 post).
Dan Driscoll has emerged as a key figure in recent peace negotiations – and one to watch.
The US army secretary is reportedly in the UAE today, hosting not-so-secret talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials.
But you could be forgiven for being unaware of his involvement until now. US correspondent Mark Stone explains his role…
As army secretary, he is one of the top civilians within the Pentagon.
He leads the US Department of the Army, which is one of the three military departments within the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defence, before a Trump rebrand).
In the hierarchy, he sits just under Pete Hegseth, the secretary of war, but the speculation in Washington is that there is tension between the two of them.
Hegseth can’t fire or purge Driscoll, though, because he is a close friend of the vice president.
He and JD Vance were at Yale together and Trump likes him.
Unusually for a Trump official, he also enjoys bipartisan popularity.
It was Driscoll who was sent to present the 28-point plan to Zelenskyy in Kyiv three days ago.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the US at the “earliest possible date” in November, according to Ukraine’s national security chief.
Rustem Umerov says the visit will be aimed at “completing the final stages” of a peace agreement with Donald Trump.
US and Ukrainian delegations “have reached a common understanding on the key terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva”, he adds.
“We look forward to organising a visit by the president of Ukraine to the United States at the earliest possible date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President Trump.”
Residents of a Kyiv building attacked by Russia last night have poured doubt on the peace process.
Russia launched 22 missiles and 460 drones in its latest attack.
Liubov Petrivna said she didn’t believe in the proposed US plan.
“No one will ever do anything about it. Putin won’t stop until he finishes us off.”
Another resident, Nina Dorozhynska, agreed: “They write one thing, but do their own thing. The war will not stop, it seems to me so.
“No negotiations will work. This is an excuse from poor people.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian drones crossed into the airspace of Moldova and Romania overnight – after the Romanian defence ministry said it was forced to scramble jets in response (see our 7.08am post for more).
“It is known that four drones crossed into the airspace of our neighbours – Moldova and Romania – with the exact overflight times confirmed,” Ukraine’s president said in a post online.
Russia launched more than 460 drones in total during a wave of attacks across Ukraine, including deadly strikes on Kyiv, Zelenskyy added.
An image released by Moldova’s police force showed a drone on the roof of a village house in the country’s northern region.
Two versions of a Ukraine peace plan now exist – one drawn up by a sanctioned Russian official and a US envoy outside official channels, and a draft amended by Europe and Ukraine.
Here, military analyst Professor Michael Clarke explains the main differences between the two…
The Kremlin has “nothing to say” on reports that US army secretary Dan Driscoll has been in talks with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi (see more in our 6.68am post).
Moscow has not yet received any updated plans on Ukraine, spokesman Dmitry Peskov says. But he adds that Donald Trump’s peace plan – which is widely viewed as favouring Russia – could be a very good basis for talks.
The controversial 28-point proposal was reportedly drawn up by a sanctioned Russian official and Trump’s envoy. Ukraine and its European allies have made several counterproposals since it was published.
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