Ukraine’s security chief has indicated plans to arrange a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump later this month as efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict continue.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s national security council, said on Tuesday that both Washington and Kyiv had reached “a common understanding on the key terms” following recent talks in Geneva. The White House has yet to confirm whether such a meeting will take place.
At the same time, US officials are scheduled to meet Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi to further discussions on a potential peace framework.
Fighting persisted overnight, with Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanging strikes. Ukrainian authorities reported at least six civilian deaths in Russian attacks on Kyiv, while Russia said three people were killed in a Ukrainian strike in the Rostov region.
Umerov said Kyiv hopes Zelensky can travel to the US “at the earliest suitable date in November to finalise steps and formalize an agreement.” In a social media post, he described the ongoing negotiations as reaching agreement on “core terms” of the peace plan.
A US official confirmed Ukraine has “agreed to a peace deal” in principle, but noted that minor technical details remain unresolved. Analysts caution that the gap between Kyiv’s and Moscow’s acceptable terms remains wide, and the Kremlin is unlikely to endorse proposals Ukraine may accept.
European and Ukrainian leaders have criticized the initial US draft, saying it heavily favoured Russia. Counter-proposals from European powers reportedly removed any recognition of Russian-held territories, allowed Ukraine to maintain a larger army, and kept the possibility open for NATO membership. Zelensky welcomed these amendments, calling them “necessary steps to make a peace plan achievable.”
A Kremlin spokesperson rejected the modifications as “unconstructive,” while US officials confirmed continued dialogue with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi. Russia’s foreign minister indicated Moscow has yet to receive a revised interim plan and expects it to reflect previous discussions between Trump and President Vladimir Putin.
Separately, a virtual meeting of European allies of Ukraine is taking place to review recent developments, with discussions focusing on security and coordination.
The escalation of strikes continued overnight. In Kyiv, a high-rise residential building in the Dniprovskyi district caught fire after a Russian attack, prompting evacuations and the rescue of 18 residents, including children. Another apartment complex in the central Pechersk district was also damaged and evacuated.
Ukrainian air defenses responded to the attacks as residents were urged to shelter. Authorities confirmed a major combined assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, involving more than 460 drones and 22 missiles.
NATO scrambled fighter jets over Romania to intercept drones near Ukraine’s border for the third time in four days, while Russian authorities reported intercepting 249 Ukrainian drones, including over the Black Sea and Kursk.
In southern Russia, the death toll from Ukrainian strikes rose to three in Rostov, with several others injured. Regional officials vowed to respond to the attacks. In Krasnodar, the governor described Ukraine’s overnight bombardment as “one of the most sustained attacks” the region had experienced.
The proposed US-Russia peace plan has been controversial, with European officials insisting it must prevent future aggression. The European Union’s foreign policy chief emphasized that any final agreement should ensure Moscow cannot launch further invasions and should not allow Russia to rejoin major international forums.
Since February 2022, Russia’s full-scale invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties, with millions displaced. Both sides continue to pursue negotiations even as hostilities intensify on multiple fronts.
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