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During a major diplomatic push, the former US president’s special envoy is slated to hold discussions with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and various leaders from Europe in Berlin over the coming days, as Washington presses for a definitive roadmap to halt the current conflict.

Peace Negotiations and Truce Planning

Germany stated it would host US and Ukrainian delegations for weekend talks centered on a potential truce, ahead of a larger meeting with EU officials and President Zelenskyy scheduled for Monday. Via a speech to the nation, Zelenskyy personally confirmed the impending meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff: “Most importantly, I will be conferring with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our allies in Europe, with several officials, about the establishment of peace – a political agreement to stop the war,” he noted.

Russian Prerequisites for a Ceasefire

In parallel, Russian foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov emphasized that Moscow would only support a ceasefire once Ukraine’s military leave parts of the Donetsk region they currently hold. Ushakov added that Russian police and national guard troops would remain in parts of the Donbas region even if the area becomes a demilitarised zone under a potential peace plan – a condition considered a non-starter for Ukraine.

Nighttime Assaults Target Ukrainian Critical Systems

In a separate development, Russia struck five oblasts in Ukraine overnight, focusing on the country’s power and maritime infrastructure, as stated by President Zelenskyy. He said the barrage involved more than 450 unmanned aerial vehicles and 30 missiles. With temperatures hovering around zero degrees, Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, reported over a civilians were left without power.

Additionally, an strike on the port city of Odesa led to storage facilities catching fire, according to a senior Ukrainian official Oleksiy Kuleba. Local officials reported that two individuals were injured in attacks on the wider region.

Defense and Aid Developments

Against a backdrop of growing worries about the Russian threat, Germany said it is deploying a group of soldiers to Poland to support a project to fortify the nation’s eastern border. Poland, a strong ally of Ukraine, announced intentions last year to enhance a long stretch of its border. The primary task of the German soldiers will be “engineering activities,” a military spokesperson said.

In a separate event, around 480 people were evacuated from a train traveling between the city in Poland of Przemysl and Kyiv following authorities received a call concerning a threat. No one was injured, and officials provided no further details on the specific threat. Poland's authorities are on high alert due to several attempts to disrupt trains on the route linking Warsaw to the border with Ukraine.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s navy accused Russia of deliberately targeting a commercial ship from Turkey carrying cooking oil to Egypt with a drone on Saturday. The navy claimed the ship ‘VIVA’ was struck but able to continue its journey, with all 11 crew members injured.

Additionally, Ukraine welcomed back 114 captives released by Belarus on Saturday, according to the country’s prisoner exchange body. The released captives will receive healthcare, and any Belarusian citizens who wish will be transported to Poland or Lithuania.