Overview
- Ukraine sent Washington a revised 20-point framework and says control of Donetsk areas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remain unresolved.
- Zelensky says the U.S. proposed a "free economic zone" in parts of Donbas tied to a Ukrainian pullback, which Kyiv links to reciprocal Russian steps and clear policing and governance rules.
- Kyiv demands legally enforceable security guarantees before any territorial moves, citing past violations and seeking concrete U.S. commitments.
- The White House voices frustration and says U.S. attendance at Paris talks this weekend depends on a real prospect of progress, with Ukraine saying Washington wants clarity by Christmas.
- NATO chief Mark Rutte warns Europe to boost defense as battlefield dynamics remain contested, with Russia’s Siversk claim denied by Ukraine, reported Ukrainian gains near Kupiansk, and AP citing a drone strike on a Caspian oil platform.