KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump is on the horizon, suggesting advancements in the dialogue aimed at resolving the protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine, now nearing its four-year mark.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy expressed optimism, stating, “We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future.” He further hinted at the potential for significant developments before the year’s end, adding, “A lot can be decided before the New Year.”

Zelenskyy’s declaration followed a “good conversation” he reportedly had with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, the day prior. This interaction appears to have laid the groundwork for the anticipated high-level talks.

Meanwhile, President Trump has been actively pushing for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. However, his initiatives have encountered hurdles due to the starkly opposing demands of Moscow and Kyiv, complicating the path to peace.

Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end the war, but his efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said Tuesday he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end the war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.

Though Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that there had been “slow but steady progress” in the peace talks, Russia has given no indication that it will agree to any kind of withdrawal from land it has seized.

In fact, Moscow has insisted that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory it still holds in the Donbas — an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk — the two areas that make up the Donbas.

On the ground, Russian drone attacks on the city of Mykolaiv and its suburbs overnight into Friday left part of the city without power.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said it struck a major Russian oil refinery Thursday using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces hit the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia’s Rostov region. “Multiple explosions were recorded. The target was hit,” it wrote on Telegram.

Rostov regional Gov. Yuri Slyusar said a firefighter was wounded when extinguishing the fire.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to “weaponize winter.”