Trump Peace Plan: Secret Russia Talks, Big Attacks Hit Uk...

There were secret talks between the U.S. and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the existence of which emerged in reports by Reuters and the Financial Times, as the Trump administration tries to maintain the momentum of progress with its evolving peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, which still rages in the background. Those talks are set to continue on Tuesday.

What To Know

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is meeting with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss the Ukraine peace plan. Ukraine’s GUR chief Kyrylo Budanov is also in Abu Dhabi at the same time, the FT reported.
The initial 28-point plan, viewed positively by Russia, was "refined" after U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva on Sunday to address Kyiv's concerns that the first draft was too heavily in Moscow's favor and crossed its red lines. The latest draft under discussion now has 19 points.
There were intense Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, with 460 drones and 22 missiles, leaving several civilians dead and dozens more injured, including in the capital Kyiv. Russia said a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on its territory had also left civilians dead and wounded.
NATO's Romania said it detected at least two Russian drones that had breached its airspace during the latest aerial attack on Ukraine, and it scrambled fighter jets in response.
European allies, upset with Trump's original plan, which they played no part in drafting, produced their own counter-proposal, and said no provisions in any final framework that affected the EU or NATO could be agreed upon without the consent of members of both. Russia dismissed the European plan as a non-starter.
The Kremlin said it is aware that the original Trump draft plan has undergone changes, but it has not seen the new version. It had no updates to give on the ongoing Abu Dhabi talks. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the first version the peace plan "a very good basis for negotiations".
President Donald Trump has set a Thanksgiving deadline for a peace framework to be agreed. He wrote on Truth Social on Monday: "Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening."

Stay with Newsweek for the latest on the Ukraine peace efforts.

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Nov 25, 2025 at 04:11 AM EST

Ukraine drone strikes on Russia leave at least three dead

Russia's defense ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed 249 Ukrainian drones overnight into November 25. But others had broken through.

Yury Slyusar, the governor of Rostov, said on Telegram that three people were killed in the Ukrainian drone strikes in the city of Taganrog. At least 10 more were injured. He said civilian buildings, including homes, were hit.

Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Krasnodar, called the Ukrainian attack on his region "one of the longest and most massive" so far. Six people were injured and at least 20 houses were damaged across five areas, he said on Telegram.

Nov 25, 2025 at 03:51 AM EST

Lindsey Graham gives Donald Trump “no peace” Putin warning

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and Russia hawk who has a bill ready to go that would give the president tough new sanctions and secondary tariff powers to wield against Moscow, responded to the latest large-scale attacks on Ukraine with a warning.

"I hope the meetings in Geneva will bear fruit, and that Ukraine and the United States can agree on a way forward to end this horrible war," Graham wrote in a post on X late Monday.

"I appreciate President Trump and his team for trying to push for peace. However, it is clear to me that there will be no peace as long as Putin believes he is in the driver's seat. He will insist on capitulation, not peace. To grant this would encourage more aggression throughout the world and it would come back to haunt us all.

"In that regard, America and the rest of the world have many cards that have yet to be played against Putin’s Russia. I hope we can find an honorable and just peace soon. But if Putin continues to reject ceasefires, compromise peace proposals and insist on capitulation, then it is time for the United States and rest of the world to start playing their cards differently."

Nov 25, 2025 at 03:43 AM EST

Ukraine gives grim update about deadly overnight Russia strikes

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The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Russia's large-scale attack overnight into Tuesday consisted of 22 missiles and 460 drones, killing at least six people in Kyiv after residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were hit. At least a further 13 people were injured in Kyiv.

The attacks also hit the Odesa region, injuring six people, including two children. The ministry said the Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy regions were also struck by Russia. "Their main targets were the same: energy facilities and everything that supports people’s daily lives," the ministry said.

Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, called it a "terrorist response to the United States’ and President Trump’s peace proposals" in a post on X.

"Ordinary residential buildings and critical civilian energy infrastructure have been damaged, further disrupting power, water, and heating for people amid cold temperatures," Sybiha said.

"Ukraine is committed to peace efforts, and we stress the need to use all available tools to force the aggressor to end the war. Pressure on Russia, as well as strength and unity among transatlantic allies, remains critical to put an end to this war."

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