WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Nov 25) that a deal to end the Ukraine war was “very close”, even as European leaders urged caution and Russian missiles struck Kyiv during the latest overnight barrage.

Trump, who has repeatedly expressed frustration that he has not yet delivered on his campaign pledge to rapidly end the conflict, said “we are getting very close to a deal.”

His initial 28-point plan, criticised for being heavily aligned with Russia’s demands, has been replaced with a revised proposal that includes more Ukrainian positions. A Ukrainian official told AFP the new version was “significantly better”, though US officials acknowledged that “delicate” issues remain unresolved.

French President Emmanuel Macron said there was “clearly no Russian willingness” to enter a ceasefire or seriously discuss the updated, more Ukraine-friendly draft.

Talks between US and Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva over the weekend triggered a flurry of diplomacy, with further meetings taking place in Abu Dhabi between US and Russian delegates. Leaders from the coalition of about 30 countries supporting Ukraine also held virtual discussions on Tuesday.

DELICATE DETAILS IN NEW FRAMEWORK

US negotiator Dan Driscoll said the Abu Dhabi talks were going well. The White House said there had been “tremendous progress” but noted that a few remaining details “must be sorted out.”

Despite the diplomatic activity, the war continued. Kyiv was hit by waves of Russian drones and missiles around 1.00am, killing seven people and setting multiple apartment blocks ablaze. Thick smoke glowed red and orange in the night sky as residents sheltered in metro stations.

Trump last week demanded that Kyiv approve his peace plan by Thursday, the US Thanksgiving holiday. The initial draft sparked alarm in European capitals, proposing that Ukraine forever abandon its NATO ambitions and surrender additional territory beyond the roughly 20 per cent already controlled by Russia.

The updated version raises a proposed cap on Ukraine’s future armed forces to 800,000, up from 600,000, a change welcomed by Ukrainian officials. National security chief Rustem Umerov said there was “common understanding on the core” of the proposal but that sensitive items would need to be finalised in direct talks between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was still “a long way to go and a tough road ahead”.

Russia continues to occupy around one fifth of Ukraine, most of it devastated by nearly three years of fighting. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced.

Some Ukrainians said they were exhausted by the war but remained wary of compromise.

Negotiating was “healthy” and “we are getting tired of war,” said Sergeant Ivan Zadontsev. “We need a break.” But he added that proposals from both Washington and the European Union “do not serve Ukraine’s national interests”.