Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged allies not to appease Russia after returning from Washington empty-handed, where he failed to secure long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Ukrainian president called for a meeting of the Europe-led 'coalition of the willing' and stressed that Ukraine would never grant 'terrorists any bounty for their crimes'.
Zelenskyy had hoped to capitalise on Donald Trump's growing frustration with Vladimir Putin after a summit in Alaska failed to yield a breakthrough. However, Trump instead eyed a fresh diplomatic effort following the Gaza peace deal. During a tense White House meeting, Trump pushed Zelenskyy to cede territory to Russia, according to sources briefed on the discussion.
One source described the meeting as 'pretty bad', claiming Trump said Ukraine would 'freeze' and be 'destroyed' if it did not make a deal with Russia. Another source denied the destruction comment but confirmed Trump resorted to profanity. Both sources indicated Trump was influenced by a call with Putin, who proposed swapping the Donetsk and Luhansk regions for parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Meanwhile, Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, with thousands left without heating and light as winter approaches. Zelenskyy reported that Russia used over 3,270 attack drones, 1,370 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 50 missiles in the past week alone. On Sunday, two people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine has responded by stepping up strikes on Russian border regions and oil and gas facilities. A drone strike forced a Gazprom plant in Orenburg to halt refining supplies from Kazakhstan's Karachaganak field, which is majority-owned by Western companies including Shell, Eni and Chevron. The Russian army claimed to have captured two villages in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
