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(LONDON) — Russia launched a “massive” drone and missile strike on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram, prompting power outages in several regions around the country, according to the Energy Ministry in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles into the country overnight, of which 587 drones and 34 missiles were shot down or suppressed. The impacts of missiles and drones were reported across 21 locations, the air force said.

Monday’s night’s attack was the largest Russian combined strike since Dec. 6, according to Ukrainian air force data analyzed by ABC News, and the third largest of the war to date.

Zelenskyy said Russia was “primarily targeting our energy sector, civilian infrastructure and literally all aspects of daily life.”

At least three people were killed — one person in Kyiv, one in Khmelnytskyi and a 4-year-old child in Zhytomyr — Zelenskyy said. At least 13 regions were targeted, he added. Local officials reported that at least 11 people were also injured across Ukraine.

The Energy Ministry said in a post to Telegram that “emergency power cuts have been introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine. As soon as the security situation allows, rescue workers and energy specialists will begin to repair the damage caused by the attack in order to restore power supply to the regions as quickly as possible.”

“Emergency power cuts will be lifted once the situation in the power grid has stabilized,” the ministry added.

Zelenskyy said the attack “sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities” as representatives from the warring parties engage in the latest round of U.S.-sponsored shuttle diplomacy intended to secure a peace deal.

“The attack comes just before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety,” he wrote. “The attack actually comes at the height of negotiations aimed at ending this war.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, “simply cannot accept the need to stop killing.”

“This means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia,” he added. “We need to react now. We need to push Russia towards peace and guaranteed security.” Zelenskyy also called for “air defense for Ukraine, funding for arms purchases, the supply of energy equipment” to help blunt Russian attacks.

Ukraine continued its own long-range strike campaign overnight, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting the downing of at least 44 drones.

Airports in Volgograd, Grozny, Magas and Vladikavkaz were temporarily closed amid the attacks, according to Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya.

In the Stavropol region, Gov. Vladimir Vladimirov said an attempted drone attack targeted facilities in Budennovsk, causing a fire in an industrial zone.

In the Rostov region, Gov. Yury Slyusar said drone debris damaged a fence and set fire to a house under construction in the village of Grushevskaya, which was later extinguished.

Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators returned home after meetings with U.S. officials in Miami over the weekend.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in remarks published Tuesday that Russia is waiting for information from the U.S. on talks with Ukrainian and European officials, after which he said Moscow would assess whether any developments “match the spirit of Anchorage” — referring to the summit between Putin and President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.

Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said he had returned to Moscow after taking part in the Miami talks. Earlier, the Kremlin said he would brief Putin on his return.

Vice President JD Vance on Monday said recent talks had achieved a “breakthrough” in that “all the issues are actually out in the open.”

Peskov, though, told the Rossiya-1 television channel on Tuesday that Russia does not know what Vance was referring to.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said in social media posts on Monday that he will be briefed by the Ukrainian negotiating team on Tuesday morning. “There are 20 points of the plan,” he said. “Not everything is perfect so far, but this plan is in place.”

Zelenskyy said there is now a framework of security guarantees with European nations and the U.S. The “bilateral” and “legally binding” deal with the U.S. will need to be reviewed by Congress, he added. “As of today, this all looks quite solid and dignified. For now, however, these are working drafts prepared by our military.”

“This indicates that we are very close to a real outcome,” Zelenskyy added, noting that work was ongoing on a separate draft agreement regarding Ukraine’s economic recovery.

“There are certain things we are not prepared to accept,” Zelenskyy said. “And there are things — of that I am sure — that the Russians are not prepared to accept either. The Americans are currently continuing negotiations with Russian representatives. They will hold talks, and then we will receive feedback from them.”

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(LONDON) — More than a thousand political, social, and cultural activists signed a petition condemning the “violent arrest” of the Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi and others allegedly by Iranian security forces in the northwestern city of Mashhad earlier this month.

Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, was arrested as she attended a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer who had been found dead in his office.

Dozens of other attendees were also detained, according to a statement released by Mohammadi’s foundation. The ceremony had turned into a scene of protest against the regime as videos show some of the attendees shouted slogans, including “death to the dictator” and “long live Iran.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has served as the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader since 1989. Mohammadi has been of prominent and vocal critics of Khamenei’s policies, accusing the regime of human rights abuses.

Mohammadi, who had campaigned against sharia-based laws including the mandatory hijab and executions, had been imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin prison until December 2024. She was released on medical leave, her lawyer said at the time.

Among those who were arrested this month were political activists including Sepideh Gholian, Hasti Amiri, Pouran Nazemi, Aliyeh Motallebzadeh — who have been arrested, prosecuted or jailed for their activism before — and Javad Alikordi, a brother of the deceased lawyer.

The day after Mohammadi and others were arrested, Taghi Rahmani, Mohammadi’s husband, said in a post on his X account that “apparently” the intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” has been behind the arrests.

Alikordi who used to advocate the cases of families of protesters in Iran before his death, had been handed one year in prison and two years of exile last year due to his advocacy of political prisoners. Despite official announcements indicating that his death was due to a heart attack, some attorneys and activists suggested possible Islamic Republic involvement.

The petition’s signatories asked for immediate release of those arrested.

“We condemn the violent arrest and the beating of our loved ones present at the memorial… Holding memorial and mourning ceremonies for the deceased is an inseparable part of fundamental human and civil rights,” the petition reads.

“We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and emphasize their fundamental right to access phone calls, family visits, independent legal counsel, and medical care,” it continued.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee also called on the Iranian authorities “to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions,” following her arrest.

Clarifying the importance of the petition on the release of Mohammadi and other arrestees, Mina Akbari, Iranian documentary filmmaker and activist wrote in a post on her Instagram account that it is not only a call on the release of those arrested, but its importance is also “in the composition of its signatories.”

“This statement is not just a protest against an arrest, but a demonstration of unprecedented unity in the heart of the deep political and intellectual divisions in Iran today,” Akbari said.

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(SYDNEY) — Hundreds of mourners gathered in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday for the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda, who was the youngest victim of this weekend’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

A tiny white coffin was slowly carried out of the synagogue as people sobbed, hugged, clutched teddy bears and held colorful, heart-shaped balloons.

Matilda’s family moved from Ukraine to Australia “for a good life,” a rabbi told The Associated Press.

Matilda’s mother told ABC News that this photo of Matilda in a yellow dress with her face painted was taken on the day she was killed.

In an online fundraiser, a teacher wrote that she knew Matilda — whose last name has not been released — as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”

Matilda was among the 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration this weekend in what officials called an antisemitic terror attack. More than 40 others were wounded.

One gunman was killed at the scene and the second is in custody and facing charges.

ABC News’ Nataliia Popova contributed to this report.

 

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(SYDNEY) — When shots rang out at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach, Arsen Ostrovsky said he thought it could’ve been balloons popping.

“Because it was the carnival, there were clowns and children’s activities,” he told ABC News. “But then it was just non-stop, relentless — so I knew that we were under attack.”

As Ostrovsky ran toward his wife and her children, who were exposed and closer to the shooting, he said he felt a bullet strike his head.

“I fell down and I remember saying, ‘I’m hit, ‘I’m hit,’ and the blood just started gushing,” Ostrovsky said, with part of his head still bandaged up.

Fifteen people were killed — including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor — and more than 40 others were wounded in last weekend’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach.

The two gunmen — who officials say appeared to have been inspired by ISIS — were allegedly father and son. The father, Sajid Akram, was killed by police at the scene, and the son, Naveed Akram, was wounded and taken into custody. He faces charges, including committing a terrorist act and 15 counts of murder.

When asked if he has anything to say to the gunmen, Ostrovsky — who was in Israel during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023 — said he hopes they face justice and understand they will never succeed in taking away his humanity.

“We’ve seen the horrors of the last two years in Israel, thinking that we would be coming here to a safe place, and then having to flee for our lives,” Ostrovsky said.

Ostrovsky said the actions of people at Bondi Beach, like Ahmed al-Ahmed — a bystander who was seen on video jumping in and wrestling a gun away from one of the attackers — and other members of the public who ran toward the danger, have helped him see humanity in the darkness.

People were “running from the surf, coming from shops, running from a beach to help,” he said.

“That’s what I choose to take,” he said.

ABC News’ Karson Yiu and James Gillings contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Wednesday that Russia is preparing “the coming year as a year of war,” despite ongoing U.S.-brokered peace talks to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin sent “signals” of Moscow’s aggressive intent in remarks made on Wednesday, saying the bellicose comments were intended “not only for us.”

“It is important that partners see this,” Zelenskyy added. “And it is important that they not only see it, but also respond, in particular partners in the United States of America, who often say that Russia supposedly wants to end the war. But entirely different rhetoric and different signals are coming from Russia.”

Zelenskyy said an upcoming summit in Brussels to discuss the use of some $250 billion worth of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine was “important,” and that the outcome of the talks “must be such that Russia feels that its desire to continue the war next year makes no sense, because Ukraine will have support. This depends one hundred percent on Europe, it is Europe that must make this choice.”

Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on Thursday morning.

European leader stressed the significance of Thursday’s meeting.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that either the European Union would agree on “money [for Ukraine] today or blood tomorrow.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post to X, “We have one ultimate goal: peace for Ukraine through strength.”

Zelenskyy later said Ukraine would use any funds “mostly for weapons.” He added, “We can’t afford that Ukraine remains without the answer as for the funding for the next year, it’s a big threat.”

“It’s not just about the frontline but about Ukraine’s overall ability to fight,” Zelenskyy said. “If Ukraine doesn’t receive the money in spring the scale of drone production will decrease several-fold.”

Zelenskyy also said that more talks are expected between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators in the coming week.

Zelenskyy’s comments were prompted by remarks made by Putin at the Russian Defense Ministry’s annual meeting on Wednesday, where the Russian leader claimed that his forces had “gained and firmly holds the strategic initiative across the entire front line.” 

Putina added that Russian troops were “confidently advancing and ‘grinding down’ the enemy, its groups and reserves, including the so-called elite units and formations trained in Western military centers and equipped with modern foreign technology and weapons.”

Putin said the objectives of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” will be achieved either through diplomacy or through military force.

“We preferred to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy,” Putin said. “If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.”

The Russian president again sought to frame Ukraine’s European partners as being responsible for the elongation of the war, which Moscow launched in February 2022. The Kremlin has continued to wage its war despite multiple rounds of diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire.

“We welcome the progress that has been made in the dialogue with the new U.S. administration,” Putin said. “Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the current leadership of most European countries.”

Putin even referred to European leaders as “little pigs” in his Wednesday comments, and was also critical of the pro-Ukraine policies of former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Meanwhile, both Kyiv and Moscow continued their long-range strikes overnight into Thursday.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 82 drones into the country in its latest barrage, of which 63 were shot down or suppressed. Nineteen strike drones impacted across 12 locations, the air force said.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said six people were injured by a drone strike in the ️Cherkasy region, as were three people in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 77 Ukrainian drones from Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

ABC News’ Oleksiy Pshemyskiy, Othon Leyva, Tom Soufi Burridge, Guy Davies and Yulia Drozd contributed to this report. 

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(SYDNEY) — The 24-year-old man who allegedly opened fire alongside his father on a Jewish gathering at Australia’s Bondi Beach has been charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder and dozens of other offenses, the New South Wales Police said on Wednesday.

Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offenses, including 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, police said in a statement.

Akram, who remains under police guard in a hospital, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday via a video link, police said.

He allegedly opened fire alongside his father, Sajid Akram, 50, at an event at the beach on Sunday, killing fifteen people and injuring another 41, according to officials. The alleged assailant’s father, who was also alleged to have fired on the group, was shot and killed by police, law enforcement said.

The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team is leading an investigation into the shooting, after Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon declared it to be terror-related.

“Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” the investigators said in announcing the charges. “Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.”

Akram has been charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder, 40 courts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organization’s symbol and placing an explosion in or near a building with intent to cause harm, according to police.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters Tuesday that the father and son traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack and may have been inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization.

“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.

Twenty of those who were injured in the attack were still being treated at hospitals across Sydney, officials said on Wednesday. Two of the injured were police officers. A constable was listed on Wednesday in critical but stable condition, while a probationary constable was listed in stable condition, police said.

“Doctors. Nurses. Surgeons. Radiologists. Pathologists. And so many more. We’ve seen humanity at its very best, as you’ve worked tirelessly to save lives,” Albanese said on Wednesday on social media. “We can’t thank you enough.”

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(SYDNEY) — A Sydney man is being praised as a hero for disarming one of the alleged shooters in the Hanukkah attack that left 15 dead and 42 injured at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, as seen in video obtained by ABC News

The video shows a man, identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, running towards one of the alleged shooters. He’s then seen disarming the alleged gunman before pointing his weapon back at him, prompting him to walk away.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al-Ahmed in the hospital and told him “your courage is inspiring,” according to video of the visit posted to social media.

“Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist. In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you,” Albanese said on X.

The fruit seller was having lunch in the area with a friend when the shooting unfolded and he intervened, according to his brother, Huthaifa.

“I’m really proud about my brother,” he told ABC News.

“He’s a good man. He’s brave,” he said.

The father of two was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for bullet wounds. His brother said he is recovering in the hospital, but is not 100% yet.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero.”

“Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Minns posted on Instagram while sharing a photo with al-Ahmed in the hospital.

“It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW. There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage,” he added.

At Sunday night’s National Menorah Lighting in Washington, D.C., Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the director of advocacy group American Friends of Lubavitch, praised al-Ahmed’s heroism and asked for prayers for his recovery.

“I ask all those across the community and beyond — here, and around the world — to please pray for the recovery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, someone who is not a member of the Jewish community, but gave up his safety and wellbeing to stop one of the gunmen and thus prevent even further loss of life. May he recover speedy and fully,” Shemtov said.

A GoFundMe page for al-Ahmed has raised almost $1.5 million with thousands of donations.

“We’re seeing an outpouring of love for Ahmed al Ahmed following his heroic actions at Bondi Beach,” the site posted on X.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also shared the fundraiser on his X account Sunday, donating $99,999.

Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed told reporters that his son is “a hero.”

“He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people,” he said. 

The victims of Sunday’s mass shooting ranged in ages 10 to 87, and the alleged gunmen are father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said. Their names have not been released, but authorities said the father is dead and the son was hospitalized.

Six firearms were collected from the scene alongside two improvised explosives, according to officials.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism,” in a video shared on his Instagram account.

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(LONDON) — The alleged father and son gunmen who killed 15 people and wounded more than 40 in a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack and may have been inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Investigators are probing the months leading up to Sunday’s shooting, when the suspected gunmen — Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24 — fired at people attending a Hanukkah event. Australian officials have described the shooting as an anti-semitic terrorist attack.

“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.

Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram allegedly stood on an overpass bridge near the event and shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they carried out the massacre, according to a briefing distributed to U.S. law enforcement and reviewed by ABC News. The father was shot and killed by police and the son was critically hurt and hospitalized, officials said.

New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon said a car registered to Naveed Akram contained IEDs and ISIS flags. 

“We continue to work through the motive of this tragedy and will continue to do so,” Lanyon said. 

Law enforcement said they are also investigating a trip taken by the alleged shooters to the Philippines in November.

“The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment,” Lanyon said.

Sajid Akram, who was born into a Muslim family in India, immigrated in 1998 to Australia, where he got married and had a son and a daughter, Indian authorities told ABC News. Naveed Akram is an Australian citizen, offiicals said.

Authorities noted that Sajid Akram maintained limited contact with his family in Hyderabad, Indiana, since the 1990s, visiting India on six occasions, primarily for family-related matters. Local police said there was “no adverse record” against Sajid Akram during his time in India before he moved.

Australia is now grieving the 15 victims killed, including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

Among the injured is a bystander, Ahmad Al Ahmad, who was seen on video jumping in and wrestling a gun away from one of the attackers, according to police.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, is pushing back on criticism of the police response time.

Responding officers “acted with bravery and integrity. They didn’t take a backward step,” Minns said during a Tuesday press conference.

“They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns,” Minns said. “The offenders had long-range rifles and New South Wales police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one and as a result saving many, many people’s lives.”

“Now there are two officers in critical care in New South Wales hospitals at the moment. They weren’t shot in the back as they were running away, they were shot in the front,” Minns said.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Somayeh Malekian, Helena Skinner and Dada Jovanovic contributed to this report.

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(SYDNEY) — A Sydney man is being praised as a hero for disarming one of the alleged shooters in the Hanukkah attack that left 15 dead and 42 injured at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, as seen in video obtained by ABC News

The video shows a man, identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, running towards one of the alleged shooters. He’s then seen disarming the alleged gunman before pointing his weapon back at him, prompting him to walk away.

The fruit seller was having lunch in the area with a friend when the shooting unfolded and he intervened, according to his brother, Huthaifa.

“I’m really proud about my brother,” he told ABC News.

“He’s a good man. He’s brave,” he said.

The father of two was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for bullet wounds. His brother said he is recovering in the hospital, but is not 100% yet.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero.”

“Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Minns posted on Instagram while sharing a photo with al-Ahmed in the hospital.

“It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW. There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage,” he added.

At Sunday night’s National Menorah Lighting in Washington, D.C., Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the director of advocacy group American Friends of Lubavitch, praised al-Ahmed’s heroism and asked for prayers for his recovery.

“I ask all those across the community and beyond — here, and around the world — to please pray for the recovery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, someone who is not a member of the Jewish community, but gave up his safety and wellbeing to stop one of the gunmen and thus prevent even further loss of life. May he recover speedy and fully,” Shemtov said.

A GoFundMe page for al-Ahmed has raised almost $1.5 million with thousands of donations.

“We’re seeing an outpouring of love for Ahmed al Ahmed following his heroic actions at Bondi Beach,” the site posted on X.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also shared the fundraiser on his X account Sunday, donating $99,999.

Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed told reporters that his son is “a hero.”

“He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people,” he said.

The victims of Sunday’s mass shooting ranged in ages 10 to 87, and the alleged gunmen are father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said. Their names have not been released, but authorities said the father is dead and the son was hospitalized.

Six firearms were collected from the scene alongside two improvised explosives, according to officials.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism,” in a video shared on his Instagram account.

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(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that no consensus had been reached on key territorial questions as part of a possible peace settlement with Russia, following two days of talks between Ukrainian, American and European negotiators in Berlin, Germany.

“In other issues, there is progress forward,” Zelenskyy said in comments in a group chat with Ukrainian reporters after the talks ended.

U.S. administration officials signaled on Monday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever, telling reporters on the condition of anonymity that “literally 90%” of the issues between the two warring countries had been solved.

Ukraine’s demand for U.S.-backed security guarantees and the fates of four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions have dominated the most recent American push for a peace settlement to end Russia’s full-scale invasion, which it launched in February 2022.

Russia occupies Crimea — which was occupied in 2014 — and partially occupies Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in the south and east of Ukraine. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk — which together form the region known as the Donbas — in exchange for an end to the fighting.

Zelenskyy on Monday reiterated Ukraine’s position that it does not want to cede the Donbas region to Russia. The president also said that a demilitarized area or “free economic zone” covering the region cannot be under Russian leadership.

“These are important features for me in any format for Donbas,” Zelenskyy said. “Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbas as Russian — the part that is temporarily occupied. But nevertheless, we are discussing the issue regarding the territories, and you know that it is one of the key ones.”

Zelenskyy hinted at progress on the issue of Western security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression, without which Kyiv says it cannot agree to a peace deal.

German Chancellor Freidrich Merz said after Monday’s talks, “The legal and material guarantees that the U.S. has put on the table here in Berlin are truly remarkable. This is a very important step forward, which I very much welcome.”

Merz also suggested that Ukraine and Russia agree to a Chrismtas truce, a proposal Zelenskyy said he supports.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview on Monday that he believes the warring parties are “on the verge” of a diplomatic solution to end Moscow’s war.

“We are prepared to have a deal,” Ryabkov said. The deputy foreign minister added that he hoped an agreement would be reached “sooner rather than later.”

More meetings are expected in the coming days, Zelenskyy said, including between American and Russian negotiators. Ukrainian representatives are expecting to travel to the U.S. for further talks “in the near future,” Zelenskyy said, possibly as soon as this weekend.

Ukraine and Russia continued to exchange long-range strikes on Monday and overnight into Tuesday, with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also on Monday claiming an underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine docked at the port of Novorossiysk.

Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that Russia launched 69 drones into the country overnight, of which 57 were shot down or suppressed. Ten strike drones impacted across seven locations, the air force said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed 111 Ukrainian drones overnight into Tuesday morning, including four over the Moscow region.

On Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy addressed the Dutch parliament, telling lawmakers, “We are now in the midst of the most intense and focussed negotiations for peace since the beginning of this war … For true lasting peace. We are not talking about a pause or a temporary, uncertain solution.”

Zelenskyy again urged accountability for Moscow. “Someone else is always expected to make concessions so that Russia will stop spreading bloodshed,” he said. “In Russia’s war against our people, our country, this logic has reached its largest and most dangerous scale.”

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