Politics

Exclusive: 'Be careful' — European leaders warned Zelensky to assess Trump's real stance at Mar-a-Lago

by Tim ZadorozhnyyDecember 29, 2025

A day before President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump, European leaders privately warned the Ukrainian president that the talks could go badly and urged him to "be careful," according to detailed notes from the call shared with the Kyiv Independent by a senior diplomatic source. The caution came ahead of Zelensky's Dec. 28 meeting with Trump at the U.S. president's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago — a high-stakes encounter focused on Washington's latest push to broker a peace f

Trump 'very angry' about alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin residence

by Lucy PakhnyukDecember 30, 2025

Trump, Putin hold phone call following Zelensky's visit to Florida

by Kateryna DenisovaDecember 29, 2025

US security guarantees set for 15 years, with Ukraine pushing for extension, Zelensky says

by Kateryna DenisovaDecember 29, 2025

Trump holds call with Putin hours before scheduled meeting with Zelensky

by Sonya BandouilDecember 28, 2025

Trump's Mar-a-Lago meeting with Zelensky ends without agreement on how peace in Ukraine should look

by Linda HouraniDecember 28, 2025

Ukrainian lawmakers exposed getting cash for votes, anti-corruption agency says

by Kateryna DenisovaDecember 27, 2025

Canada to provide $1.8 billion in economic aid to Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news deskDecember 27, 2025

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Tuesday, December 30

02:04 PM

Ukraine strikes Russian drone storage at occupied Donetsk Airport, commander says

Ukraine struck a Russian drone storage facility at Donetsk Airport in occupied Donetsk Oblast, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi said on Dec. 30.

01:57 PM

US peace efforts make full circle, as Putin tells Trump Ukraine out to kill him

Donald Trump’s peace negotiations have seemingly made a full circle. After U.S. pressuring Ukraine to accept an unfavorable peace settlement, Kyiv spent over a month renegotiating the offer and getting close to receiving Trump's blessing on a revised proposal. Then Vladimir Putin called. Twice. A few hours before the second call, on Dec. 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Ukrainian drones had allegedly attempted to strike Putin's state residence with 91 drones in Russia's No

12:14 PM

Syrskyi says battalion commander to face legal review after loss of command post in Huliaipole

Ukraine's top commander said a battalion commander will face a legal review after Ukrainian troops abandoned a command post in the Huliaipole sector, leaving behind equipment and potentially sensitive materials.

04:20 AM

'We can't just withdraw from our territories' —Zelensky says following his meeting with Trump

Zelensky tells Fox News' Bret Baier that Ukraine has demonstrated concrete steps toward peace over the past month and raised the possibility of a referendum on the peace plan. At the same time, a referendum would not legitimize withdrawing from Ukrainian territory, given the current security realities.

02:16 AM

Trump 'very angry' about alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin residence

U.S. President Donald Trump said Dec. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him Ukraine had tried to attack Putin's residence, an allegation Kyiv has denied. "I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it," Trump said.

Monday, December 29

06:24 PM

'They are looking for a pretext' — Zelensky denies drone attack on Putin's residence

Zelensky dismissed Russian claims that Ukrainian drones targeted Putin’s residence as “another lie,” warning Moscow is using the allegation as a pretext for possible strikes on Kyiv and government buildings.

Editors' Picks

2025 in 25 stories from the Kyiv Independent

Politics

Exclusive: 'Be careful' — European leaders warned Zelensky to assess Trump's real stance at Mar-a-Lago

Trump 'very angry' about alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin residence

Trump, Putin hold phone call following Zelensky's visit to Florida

US security guarantees set for 15 years, with Ukraine pushing for extension, Zelensky says

Trump holds call with Putin hours before scheduled meeting with Zelensky

Trump's Mar-a-Lago meeting with Zelensky ends without agreement on how peace in Ukraine should look

Ukrainian lawmakers exposed getting cash for votes, anti-corruption agency says

Canada to provide $1.8 billion in economic aid to Ukraine

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