Trump Must Put 'Serious Pressure' on Putin to End War, Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine

John Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and senior director at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, says negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine have made progress, but notes that Vladimir Putin has rejected every proposal so far. Speaking with Joe Mathieu on "Balance of Power," Herbst adds that China is closely watching the war and does not want Putin to lose.

The Ukrainian president said Friday he plans to refine Kyiv’s agreements with the US as much as possible, with a comprehensive 20 point peace plan then requiring input from Russia and Europe. He plans to discuss sensitive issues with Trump, including the future of the Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The meeting is set for 3 p.m. local time, according to the US president’s official schedule. Trump is spending the holidays at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Zelenskiy told Axios on Friday that he’s ready to put an eventual framework agreement to a referendum if Russia agrees to a ceasefire of at least 60 days.

Ahead of Sunday’s talks, Zelenskiy plans to speak on Saturday with several European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at about 5 p.m. CET, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Russian forces hit Ukraine’s capital with a massive airstrike on the eve of talks between Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Donald Trump aimed at nailing down a plan to end Moscow’s war.

More than 500 drones and 40 missiles — including Kinzhal hypersonic weapons — were launched, primarily at Kyiv’s energy and civilian infrastructure, Ukraine’s president said on Telegram and X. Zelenskiy reiterated his call for the US and European allies to step up pressure on Moscow.

“Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals and ‘Shaheds’ speak for them,” Zelenskiy said.

The barrage, which continued into Saturday morning, killed one person in Kyiv and injured at least 22, disrupted power and water supplies, and sparked fires across several districts. About one-third of the city of over 3 million residents was left without heating with temperatures hovering around freezing.

Several high-rise residential buildings were set ablaze, as well as cars and other property, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. At least 11 people were hospitalized, he said. Authorities imposed emergency power cuts in the capital, overriding rolling blackouts already scheduled, while water supplies were also disrupted.

The broader Kyiv region and the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine also saw power cuts, Ukraine’s energy ministry said.

The barrage unfolded a day before Zelenskiy is set to meet with Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, in pursuit of a deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.

Trump, meanwhile, spoke on Friday with Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki, the Polish leader’s office said in a statement. An aide told Poland’s state news agency PAP that Nawrocki stressed to Trump that Putin was the aggressor in the conflict with Ukraine.

While Zelenskiy is about to head to the US, comments from Moscow late Friday raise doubts about how close a final agreement might be.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in an interview with state television, described Kyiv’s latest plans as “radically different” from the key points Moscow has discussed with the US in recent weeks.

Ukraine and its European allies have “redoubled their efforts to torpedo” any accord to end a conflict, Ryabkov said.

A person close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg News earlier in the week that Moscow will seek key changes to the US-Ukraine plan, including more restrictions on Kyiv’s military.

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