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Putin’s holiday message to Trump coincides with high-stakes Ukraine peace negotiations
Amid renewed diplomatic efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Christmas greetings to U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a symbolic moment as talks enter a decisive phase. Kremlin officials confirmed that while no direct conversation took place, Putin’s message was delivered as Moscow prepares its official response to Washington’s latest peace framework.
The exchange comes after the United States and Ukraine refined their proposed plan for ending hostilities, trimming it from an initial 28 points to 20 in an effort to make the agreement more balanced. The latest version outlines a plan to freeze combat along existing front lines and to deploy international peacekeeping forces, but disputes persist over the handling of Russian-occupied areas, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow is reviewing U.S. proposals and that its “core positions” remain unchanged. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added that any final deal must reflect understandings reached during Trump and Putin’s earlier meeting in Alaska.
Under the revised draft, Ukraine would retain an 800,000-strong defense force in peacetime and benefit from new security guarantees modeled on NATO’s mutual defense clause. Unlike earlier drafts, the current proposal no longer demands Ukraine’s immediate withdrawal from the Donetsk region or a halt to NATO aspirations key shifts that could help bridge the gap in negotiations.
While Russian officials described the ongoing contacts as constructive, Putin’s rejection of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for a Christmas ceasefire reveals continued friction on the ground. In his holiday address, Zelenskyy condemned ongoing strikes and vowed that Ukrainians “will defend our families, our land, and our peace.”
U.S. President Trump described progress in the talks as encouraging, saying the discussions brought the sides “closer than ever” to a settlement. Nonetheless, analysts caution that major political and territorial hurdles still lie ahead, with Moscow showing little sign of backing down from its long-standing territorial ambitions.
