LONDON – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump should visit Ukraine, amid the latest US-led push for a peace deal to end Russia’s large-scale invasion of its neighbour.
“He talks about advocating a plan to end the war,” Zelenskyy said of Trump, answering questions in a WhatsApp group chat with reporters.
“I told him that we would be glad to see him. It is very useful for Ukraine. If American President Trump flies to Ukraine, and it is desirable that he flies not to Poland, but to Ukraine, this will indicate that we definitely have a chance to count on a ceasefire,” Zelensky said.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that negotiating teams are getting “very close, maybe very close” to reaching a peace deal to end the invasion of Moscow, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida.
Alex Brandon/AP
Zelenskyy traveled to Florida to meet with Trump on Sunday to discuss a 20-point plan that he described as a possible basis for ending the war. Trump also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin before and after meeting Zelenskyy, the White House said.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is discussing the possibility of a U.S. troop presence as part of a deal and as part of the postwar security guarantees kyiv says it needs to prevent a repeat of Russian attacks.
“These are American troops and that is why it is the United States that makes such decisions,” Zelenskyy said. “Of course, we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the ‘Coalition of the Willing.'”
“We would like this. It would be a strong position in terms of security guarantees,” Zelenskyy added.
Zelenskyy also denied Russian reports of a rift between the United States and Ukraine. On Monday, Moscow accused kyiv – without providing any supporting evidence – of launching a drone attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region.
After speaking with Putin by phone about the alleged attack, Trump said he was “very angry,” although he also acknowledged that it may not have happened.
“Despite all the media accusations from the Russians about the breakdown of our talks with the Americans, we are working every day,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
The Ukrainian president said there were “several calls” on Tuesday between Rustem Umerov (secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and key negotiator) and US representatives, including presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. “We are discussing our next steps,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy also posted on social media Tuesday previewing a meeting of national security advisers from the majority European nations of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Ukraine on Jan. 3, which is expected to be followed by a meeting of national leaders in France on Jan. 6.
Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, made a surprise trip to kyiv in February 2023, where he met with Zelenskyy ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Biden flew to Poland and took a 10-hour train ride to reach the Ukrainian capital, senior administration officials said at the time.
Both Russia and Ukraine continued their exchange of long-range drone strikes overnight.
Smoke rises from an apartment building damaged during a nighttime Russian drone strike in Odessa, Ukraine, December 31, 2025.
Ukrainian State Emergency Service/via Reuters
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 127 drones into the country overnight Wednesday morning, of which 101 were shot down or suppressed. Twenty drones hit 11 locations, the air force said.
The southern port city of Odessa was among the targets of the latest overnight bombing, officials said.
Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said in a Telegram post that at least six people were injured by the Russian drone strikes, including three children. One adult was hospitalized and is in critical condition, Kiper said.
“In total, four residential buildings, at least 14 cars and private garages were damaged,” Kiper said.
“These attacks are another indication of the terrorist tactics of the enemy, which deliberately attacks the civilian infrastructure of peaceful cities in the Odessa region, threatening the lives and health of people,” the governor added.
Kiper also reported at least two new attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the Odessa region. “In total, during December, 10 substations in Odessa and the region were damaged as a result of enemy shelling,” he wrote. “Since the beginning of the year, Russia has attacked 25 energy facilities in the region.”
“The damage is extensive and repair work will take time,” Kiper said.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 86 Ukrainian drones overnight Wednesday morning, of which 56 were reportedly shot down over the Black Sea.
Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s federal air transport agency, reported temporary flight restrictions at airports in the southern Russian cities of Gelenjik and Krasnodar, as well as Ivanovo and Yaroslavl, both located northeast of Moscow.
ABC News’ Natalya Kushnir and Othon Leyva contributed to this report.
