The proposal offered another potential compromise on control of the Donbas region, which has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations. Washington and Kyiv have edged closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war amid continuing uncertainty over Moscow’s response. Zelenskyy said he expected US negotiators to be in contact with the Kremlin on Wednesday. Odesa has been targeted with some of the heaviest strikes of the war in recent weeks, in what Ukrainian officials have slammed as an attempt to hobble Ukraine’s maritime network and its vital agricultural exports. The Pivdenny port in the region was temporarily closed on Wednesday to help with the clean-up.

Source: The Guardian December 26, 2025 16:53 UTC