'Missiles and drones speak for Russia' – Zelensky blasts Moscow for 10-hour air attack ahead of Trump meeting
Russia’s latest mass attack over the holiday period shows that Moscow only wants to inflict more pain on Ukraine rather than end the war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the morning of Dec. 27.
Russia launched nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles overnight on Dec. 26-27, largely targeting Kyiv’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
The devastating strikes, which injured dozens, and killed at least one, come as Zelensky is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Dec. 28 amid a push for peace talks over the last two months.
"Where is the Russian response to the proposals to end the war, which were made by the United States and the world?" Zelensky said in a statement shared on his Telegram channel.
"Russian representatives are having long conversations, but in reality, the Kinzhals (missiles) and Shaheds (drones) are speaking for them. This is the real attitude of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his entourage. They do not want to end the war."
Since November, both Kyiv and Moscow have been discussing peace proposals with their American counterparts. Nothing has been inked yet, as “sensitive issues” like territorial disputes and ownership of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain a hindrance.
Zelensky said he will discuss these issues with President Trump during his visit to Florida. At Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, he will present a new 20-point peace proposal, a revised version of a 28-point plan drafted in November by Trump’s negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
While Zelensky says that the plan is 90% complete, he stressed that Moscow is constantly looking for reasons to reject the proposal. The Kremlin confirmed it received the revised peace deal and said that peace talks are "seeing slow but steady progress" on Dec. 25, before bombarding Ukrainian civilians over the Christmas period.
"If Russia turns even Christmas and the New Year's period into a time of destroyed houses and burned apartments, destroyed power plants, then this sick activity can only be responded to with really strong steps," Zelensky said on Dec. 27.
"Diplomacy will not work without security. Security should be taken care of by the powerful in this world," he added, saying that he will discuss Ukraine's security with Trump.
