Dec 12, 2025 – Zelensky visits troops near Kupiansk after Ukrainian forces recapture settlements, praises the warriors in a Telegram video and ties front‑line gains to diplomatic leverage; the U.S. reviews revised peace proposals while fresh talks are slated for Paris over the weekend, and Trump urges Zelensky to accept proposals and hold elections [7].

Dec 17, 2025 – Putin declares that Russia holds the strategic initiative across the entire front line, claims capture of about 300 Ukrainian settlements in 2025 and warns Kyiv forces are being “grinded down,” while Zelensky tours troops near Kupiansk following recent Ukrainian gains and Kyiv publicizes strikes on Russian oil infrastructure [6].

Dec 19, 2025 – EU leaders unveil a multi‑billion two‑year funding package for Ukraine financed by borrowing, not frozen Russian assets; Putin says Russia is ready to end the conflict peacefully but also lists towns near the front as near capture, calls Zelensky an “artist” and challenges him to enter Kupiansk, ISW disputes Moscow’s battlefield claims, and Russia’s top economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev plans a solo briefing in Miami on Berlin peace talks [2].

Dec 23, 2025 – Russia launches a massive overnight strike with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that kills at least three civilians, including a four‑year‑old girl, and damages energy and residential infrastructure, prompting Zelensky to demand stronger international pressure on Moscow and the Kremlin to reject temporary ceasefires in favor of a comprehensive peace [5].

Dec 27, 2025 – Russia hits Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing at least one and wounding dozens, while Poland scrambles jets and briefly closes border airports; Zelensky prepares to meet Trump in Florida, presenting a 20‑point peace plan that he says is about 90 % ready, and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announces a CAD 1.8 billion (CAD 2.5 billion) aid package to unlock IMF and World Bank financing [4][8][10].

Dec 28, 2025 – Zelensky calls Putin a “man of war” after a ten‑hour Kyiv assault that kills two and disrupts heating, seeks legally binding security guarantees in the upcoming Florida talks, outlines a new 20‑point “freeze” plan that could create demilitarized zones along the current front, and Canada pledges a CAD 2.5 billion economic aid package to enable an additional $8.4 billion IMF loan; Russia fires 519 drones and 40 missiles overnight, targeting energy and civilian sites [1][9].

Feb 2, 2026 – Trump announces that Putin kept his word after a week‑long truce that halted strikes on Kyiv and towns, though Russian attacks resume the next day, highlighting the fragility of ceasefire commitments [3].

Feb 5, 2026 – U.S.–led ceasefire negotiations begin, Russia launches its biggest drone‑missile barrage against Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, cutting power for tens of thousands amid –25 °C temperatures; Mykolaiv Governor Vitaliy Kim says Zelensky would likely win a post‑war election, notes Ukraine’s exhaustion and desire for peace, and warns that elections can occur only after martial law ends, months after fighting stops [3].