Mr Trump continued to express frustration with the pace of talks. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Russia has rejected a proposal to hold a referendum to let Ukrainians decide on giving up territory in the eastern Donbas region, much of which Moscow claims to control, highlighting a key sticking point as negotiators head to Berlin for high stakes talks aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that negotiators are wrestling with the question of territorial possession in U.S.-led peace talks on ending the war with Russia, including the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the world’s 10 biggest atomic plants. In Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, continued to be in discussions with both sides.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland wants to see a peace that provides guarantees for Ukraine’s future security and said this is also “crucial for Europe’s future security”.

A Ukrainian peace plan, sent this week to Washington, pushes back against President Trump’s proposal that Ukraine give up more land for peace.

Discover how Donald Trump's approach to Ukraine peace differs from Europe's, and the challenges this poses for the ongoing conflict. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A senior Kremlin official said 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. The remarks by Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov underscore Moscow's ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war.

MOSCOW, Dec 12 - Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday that a ceasefire in Ukraine is only possible after Kyiv's forces withdraw from the entire Donbas ‍region, ​with the area they currently control taken over ‍by Russian National Guard, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.