Zelenskyy 'doesn't have anything until I've approved it', says Trump - as peace talks loom

Zelenskyy 'doesn't have anything until I've approved it', says Donald Trump - as peace talks loom A revised 20-point plan was made public on Wednesday and follows recent US-Ukraine talks in Miami. Image:Ukrainian soldiers load a rocket launch system on the frontline on 25 December. Pic: Reuters Image:Pic: Reuters Image:Pic: Oleksii Kuleba/Reuters Image:Pic: Reuters Friday 26 December 2025 22:03, UK Donald Trump said President Zelenskyy "doesn't have anything until I approve it", ahead of a meeting with the Ukrainian leader on Sunday. The US president told Politico: "He doesn't have anything until I ‌approve it, so we'll see what he's ‍got." The two leaders will discuss details of the 20-point peace plan that is "about 90% ready", according to President Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president told Axios that he is open to putting the plan to his country's people, with a referendum, as long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold such a vote. Sunday's meeting is the latest development in an extensive US-led diplomatic push to close the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war, but efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv. Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine "would like the Europeans to be involved", but doubted it would be possible at short notice. Sir Keir Starmer spoke to the leaders of France and Germany on Friday afternoon and confirmed they would all "continue coordinating" to "achieve a lasting peace" in Ukraine, according to a Downing Street spokesperson. Researchers in the US have told Reuters that Russia is likely stationing its new nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in eastern Belarus. Although President Putin has been open about his intention to place the Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, the exact location had not been previously reported. Researchers Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Decker Eveleth ‍of the CNA research and analysis organisation said their findings were based on imagery from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, that showed features consistent with a Russian strategic missile base. Putin plans to deploy the weapon "in Belarus to extend its range further into Europe," said John Foreman, an expert with the Chatham House who served as a British defence attache in Moscow and Kyiv. The state-run Belta news agency in Belarus quoted defence ​minister Viktor Khrenin on Wednesday as saying that the Oreshnik's deployment would not alter the balance of power in Europe and was "our response" ​to the West's "aggressive actions." Read more: Ukraine hits major Russian oil refinery with British missiles, officials sayUkraine and US agree updated 20-point peace plan Earlier on Friday, Russia said it had downed seven British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles over the past week. The Russian defence ministry said its forces were able to destroy the missiles, Russian media reported. Meanwhile, Russian overnight drone strikes damaged Slovakia-, Palau- and Liberia-flagged vessels in ports in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said on Friday. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified attacks on the...

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