In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions on Saturday. This aggressive move comes on the eve of a critical meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, aimed at negotiating an end to the conflict that has gripped Eastern Europe for nearly four years.

President Zelensky, ahead of his diplomatic mission to Florida, outlined that the discussions would revolve around determining the territorial boundaries each side would control following a ceasefire. The conflict, which ignited in February 2022 with Russia’s incursion into Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin’s directive, has been Europe’s most lethal confrontation since the end of World War Two.

Saturday’s assault on the Ukrainian capital was marked by the ominous sound of explosions, as Ukraine’s air defense systems were swiftly activated. Military sources reported via the Telegram app that missile strikes were underway. The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russian drones were targeting not only Kyiv but also regions in the northeast and south of the country.

As of 8 a.m., the attack showed no signs of abating, with air raid sirens still echoing through the capital, according to Reuters eyewitness accounts. Local authorities in Kyiv reported that at least eight individuals had sustained injuries during the ongoing offensive.

The attack was continuing at 8 a.m. and an air raid alert remained in effect in the capital, Reuters eyewitnesses said. At least eight people were wounded, Kyiv authorities said.

CONTROLLING TERRITORY IS DIPLOMATIC STUMBLING BLOCK

Russia’s strikes prompted the temporary closure of Rzeszow and Lublin airports in southeastern Poland, to the west of Ukraine, after the Polish armed forces scrambled fighter jets, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency posted on X.

Russia made no immediate comment on the attacks.

On Thursday night, Russia struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and stepped up attacks on the southern region of Odesa, the site of Ukraine’s main seaports, Ukrainian authorities said.

Amid the continued fierce fighting, territory remains the main diplomatic stumbling block. A 20-point draft in the US-driven campaign to clinch a peace plan is 90% complete, Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv.

He said a security guarantee agreement between Ukraine and the US was almost ready – a key element after guarantees in earlier post-Soviet years proved meaningless.

“A lot can be decided before the New Year,” Zelensky posted on social media.

Trump said the United States was the driving force behind the process.

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

Before their meeting, Trump and Zelensky will have a call on Saturday, joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders, a commission spokesperson said.

Zelensky told Axios the US had offered a 15-year deal on security guarantees, subject to renewal, but Kyiv wanted a longer agreement with legally binding provisions to guard against further Russian aggression.

Trump said he believed Sunday’s meeting would go well. He also said he expected to speak with Putin “soon, as much as I want.”

NUCLEAR PLANT, FREE ECONOMIC ZONE ALSO AT ISSUE

In addition to territory, a critical point is control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s largest, seized by Russia in the opening weeks of the war.

Moscow demands that Ukraine withdraw from the areas of the eastern region of Donetsk that Russian troops have failed to occupy in their drive to secure all of the Donbas, which also includes the Luhansk region.

Kyiv wants the fighting halted at the current lines.

Under a US compromise, a free economic zone would be set up if Ukraine leaves parts of the Donetsk region, though details have yet to be worked out.

Axios quoted Zelensky as saying that if he is not able to push the US to back Ukraine’s “strong” position on the land issue, he was willing to put the 20-point plan to a referendum – as long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold the vote.

He said he wanted more pressure applied to Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Kyiv’s version of the 20-point plan differed from what Russia had been discussing with the US, according to Interfax-Russia news agency.

But he expressed optimism that matters had reached a “turning point” in the search for a settlement.

Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, spoke with members of the Trump administration after Moscow received US proposals about a possible peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday. It did not disclose how Moscow had viewed the documents.