Only US can persuade Russia to end Ukraine war, Zelensky says
· France 2420/12/2025 - 22:29
- Washington proposes trilateral talks between US, Russia and Ukraine, Zelensky says
- Zelensky says only US can persuade Russia to end Ukraine war
- Several killed in Russian strike on Odessa
- Russian special envoy Dmitriev arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner
20/12/2025 - 20:04
Zelensky 'not sure' Ukraine-US-Russia meeting would help
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday expressed scepticism about mooted talks between envoys from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington to end the war in his country.
While the United States had proposed such talks between the three countries' envoys in Miami, "I am not sure that anything new could come of it," he told journalists.
20/12/2025 - 19:19
Russian special envoy Dmitriev arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner
Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Miami and headed for talks on Saturday with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a Russian source told Reuters.
20/12/2025 - 17:58
Zelensky says only US can persuade Russia to end Ukraine war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that only the US is capable of persuading Russia to end the war in Ukraine, as diplomats converged on Miami for fresh talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
"I believe that such strength exists in the United States and in President (Donald) Trump. And I believe that we should not be looking for alternatives to the United States. All alternatives are under question as to whether they would be able to do this," Zelensky told reporters.
20/12/2025 - 17:58
Washington proposes trilateral talks between US, Russia and Ukraine, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the United States proposed to hold talks between Ukrainian and Russian teams in Miami, as officials gathered there for another round of talks to end the war.
"They proposed this format as far as I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia," Zelensky said, adding that the Europeans could be present and it would be "logical to hold such a joint meeting... after we understand the potential results of the meeting that has already taken place".
20/12/2025 - 16:37
Russia hits sunflower oil storage in relentless Odesa strikes
Russia struck sunflower oil storage in relentless strikes on Ukraine's Black Sea Odesa region that continued for a second day in a row, Kyiv and a seed oil trader said on Friday.
A series of intensified Russian strikes wrought havoc on the coastline region in recent weeks, hitting bridges, ports and cutting electricity and heating to thousands in freezing temperatures.
20/12/2025 - 16:15
Several killed in Russian strike on Odessa
Russian missile strikes on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, killed eight people and left 27 wounded, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Saturday morning.
The strikes came as Russian envoys are set to travel to Miami to hold talks with US negotiators aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
20/12/2025 - 15:22
Zelensky says US proposed talks with Ukrainian, Russian teams in Miami
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the United States proposed to hold talks between Ukrainian and Russian teams in Miami, as officials gathered there for another round of talks to end the war.
"They proposed this format as far as I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia," Zelensky said, adding that the Europeans could be present and it would be "logical to hold such a joint meeting ... after we understand the potential results of the meeting that has already taken place".
20/12/2025 - 15:22
Zelensky says Ukrainian elections format not up to Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said Moscow had no say in the organisation of elections in Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes for Kyiv to hold a presidential ballot.
"It is not Putin who decides when and in what format the elections in Ukraine will take place," said Zelensky, who also ruled out votes in territories occupied by Russia.
20/12/2025 - 14:47
Election cannot be held in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine, Zelensky says
Any election in Ukraine can not be held in Russia-occupied parts of the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, and the voting process can only take place if security is ensured.
He added that Ukraine's foreign minister had started the initial work on the infrastructure needed to make voting possible for Ukrainians living abroad.
20/12/2025 - 14:46
Zelensky says Russia is trying to cut Ukraine's access to Black Sea
The situation in Ukraine's southern port region of Odesa is "harsh" after Russia stepped up its attacks, trying to block Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
20/12/2025 - 13:17
Ukraine and Portugal agree on co-production of Ukrainian sea drones
Ukraine and Portugal agreed on the joint production of Ukrainian sea drones, the Ukrainian president's aide said.
"We proved that our USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles) work perfect against Russian warships and submarines. Now they will help Portugal defend Europe from the sea," Oleksandr Kamyshin said on X, writing in English.
20/12/2025 - 11:02
Russia hits Ukraine's Pivdennyi port for second day, Kyiv says
A Russian attack hit reservoirs in Ukraine's southern Pivdennyi port, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said, a day after a missile strike killed eight people there.
Moscow's troops are deliberately targeting civilian logistics routes in the Odesa region, Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram app.
20/12/2025 - 10:33
- US, Russian officials to meet in Florida for more Ukraine talks
- 8 dead and dozens wounded in Russian strike on Ukraine's Odesa port
- Zelensky says only US can persuade Russia to end Ukraine war
20/12/2025 - 10:22
Russia says it has taken two more Ukrainian villages
Russian forces have seized the villages of Svitle and Vysoke, which are respectively in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and its northeastern Sumy region, Russia's Defence Ministry said via its channel on the Telegram messaging app.
FRANCE 24 could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
20/12/2025 - 10:07
Russian envoy says on his way to Miami ahead of Ukraine talks
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said he is heading to Miami, where another round of talks to settle the Ukraine war is set to take place.
"On the way to Miami," Dmitriev wrote in an X post, adding a pigeon emoji and attaching a short video of a morning sun shining through the clouds on a beach with palms.
20/12/2025 - 09:11
Ukraine strikes Russian shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean sea
Ukraine on Friday said its drones had hit a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet – the first such strike in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean sea. Russia's shadow fleet transports sanctioned Russia oil by frequently changing flags and concealing ownership.
20/12/2025 - 09:04
Eight dead and dozens wounded in Russian strike on Ukraine's Odesa port
Eight people were killed and 27 wounded in a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa, southern Ukraine, late on Friday, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Saturday morning.
Some of the wounded were on a bus at the epicenter of the overnight strike, the service said in a Telegram post. Trucks caught fire in the parking lot, and cars were also damaged.
The port was struck with ballistic missiles, said Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region.
20/12/2025 - 07:54
Ukraine says it hit Russian oil rig, patrol ship in Caspian Sea
Ukrainian drones on Friday hit the Filanovsky oil rig, which belongs to Russia's Lukoil, and a military patrol ship near a rig in the Caspian Sea, Ukraine's general staff has said.
The nighttime attack on Friday hit the Russian warship “Okhotnik,” according to the statement posted to the Telegram messaging app.
The ship was patrolling in the Caspian Sea near an oil and gas production platform. The extent of the damage is still being clarified, the statement added.
A drilling platform at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea was also hit. The facility is operated by Russian oil giant Lukoil. Ukrainian drones also struck a radar system in the Krasnosilske area of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
20/12/2025 - 07:34
European leaders on Friday decided to finance Ukraine's war effort through a joint loan of €90 billion, without using Russian assets.
Read more in our explainer about why Europe has struggled to find consensus on using the frozen funds to help Ukraine.
Yesterday's developments:
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said Washington would not force Ukraine into any agreement to end Russia's invasion as Kyiv's European allies joined a new round of talks in Miami. Rubio said despite progress made in the talks, there was still a way to go.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his annual press conference that Russia does not believe Ukraine is ready for peace talks.
- European leaders decided to finance Ukraine's war effort for at least two years through a joint loan of €90 billion, without resorting to using Russian assets.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)