Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky greets US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, February 12, 2025 (Tetiana Dzhefarova/AFP/Getty)
Wednesday’s Coverage: Zelensky Calls Trump’s Bluff on Elections
UPDATE 0725 GMT:
Ukrainian naval drones have critically damaged another vessel of the Russian “shadow fleet” transporting oil in defiance of international sanctions.
The “Sea Baby” drones hit the Dashan, flying under the flag of the Comoro Islands and heading to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.
The attack, carrying out by Ukraine’s Navy and the State security service SBU, is the third sea drone strike in two weeks on “shadow fleet” vessels.
The Dashan, sanctioned by the European Union and the UK, was sailing at maximum speed with its transponders off when the drones hit its stern.
“The SBU continues to take active measures to reduce petrodollar revenues to the Russian budget,” said an official.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Trying to take the diplomatic initiative, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team have spoken with Donald Trump’s advisors, discussing economic aspects of the European proposal to end Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky spoke on Wednesday with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Larry Fink, the Chairman and CEO of the Blackrock investment firm.
Zelensky said the meeting “discussed key elements for recovery, various mechanisms, and visions for reconstruction”: “There are many ideas that, with the right approach, could succeed in Ukraine.”
The meeting also discussed the European-Kyiv counter-proposal to end the Russian invasion. That begins with a ceasefire on the current frontlines and details measures to guarantee Ukraine’s security against another Russian assault.
“It is overall security that will determine economic security and underpin safe business environment,” Zelensky summarized.
“We have also agreed on the next contacts between our teams,” the President announced without giving details.
In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky emphasize that the Europe-Ukraine proposal is the “fundamental document” and “key steps…must be doable.
He added that additional documents will cover security guarantees with the US, reconstruction, and joint investment.
The principles of the economic document are absolutely clear, and we are fully aligned with the American side on this. Thank you. An economic action plan will follow. Europe will also be involved in reconstruction.
The 20 points for ending the war form a fundamental document. We are actively working on the key steps – they must be doable. From this fundamental document, we are developing at least two additional ones. The first is on security – regarding security guarantees with the United… pic.twitter.com/uQVG4myA6Z
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 10, 2025
European Leaders Call Trump
Zelensky will confer with his partners in the international Coalition of the Willing in a video call on Thursday.
Three of those leaders — Germany’s Friedrich Merz, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and the UK’s Keir Starmer — spoke for 40 minutes by phone with Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days after they conferred with Zelensky in London.
A British readout summarized:
The leaders discussed the latest on the ongoing US-led peace talks, welcoming their efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, and to see an end to the killing.
Intensive work on the peace plan is continuing and will continue in the coming days.
They agreed that this was a critical moment – for Ukraine, its people and for shared security across the Euro-Atlantic region.
Trump continued to chide the Europeans, “We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words.” He rambled:
I think we had some little disputes about people, and we’re going to see how it turns out. And we said, before we go to a meeting, we want to know some things.
They would like us to go to a meeting over the weekend in Europe, and we’ll make a determination depending on what they come back with. We don’t want to be wasting time.
