Talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Miami will continue, the State Department said. Separately, European leaders discussed the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. PasarModern.comhas more.
Ukrainian and US officials agreed that Russia must show show ‘serious commitment’ to peace The talks in Miami are set to continue on Saturday German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Brussels for crunch talks with Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen The European leaders discussed a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine
Below is a roundup of the latest developments on Russia’s war in Ukraine on December 5, 2025:
US, Ukraine peace talks to continue in Miami
The US State Department signalled “constructive discussions” on a Ukraine peace plan after Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trumo’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian security chief Rustem Umerov in Miami on Friday.
The talks, which began on Thursday, will continue again on Saturday, the State Department said.
During the meeting both delegations reviewed results of recent American discussions with Russian officials, as they talked through steps that could help bring the war closer to an end
Umerov said that Ukraine remains focused on a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty and ensures security for Ukrainian citizens.
“Both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward deescalation and cessation of killings,” the State Department said in a statement.
American and Ukrainian officials also looked at plans for Ukraine’s post-war rebuilding, joint economic initiatives, and long-term recovery projects.
Zelenskyy’s confidant Yermak dismissed amid corruption investigation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed his former chief of staff Andriy Yermak from the National Security Council.
The move came as a sprawling corruption investigation continues to rock Kyiv.
Yermak has also lost his place as a member of the Stavka, which is the high command of Ukraine’s armed forces, according to two presidential decrees that were published on Friday.
Having been a long-standing ally of the president, Yermak stepped down as Zelenskyy’s chief of staff last week following anti-corruption authorities conducting searches at his premises.
It is not yet been clarified if those raids are linked to a corruption affair that involves alleged bribes in energy-related procurement.
Yermak had headed the presidential office since February 2020 and was considered by some to be the second most powerful man in Ukraine, with his depature seen as a big blow to Zelenskyy.
Russia files third criminal case against anti-war opposition politician
Russia has placed one of its few remaining anti-war politicians in pretrial detention.
The decision came shortly before he was due to be released from house arrest.
Lev Shlosberg, a prominent opposition politician from the Yabloko party, was ordered jailed until February on new charges of spreading false information about the army.
Under house arrest since June for allegedly discrediting the military, Shlosberg denies the charges in what is now the third case against him.
Rights groups say Shlosberg is a victim of so-called “carousel” arrests, where multiple charges keep critics in custody.
Yabloko, Russia’s only registered party opposing the war in Ukraine, says other top members also face charges.
Ukraine, US hold a new round of talks in Miami
Fresh talks were scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida, between Ukrainian representatives and US officials.
It comes a day after President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, briefed Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week.
“Another meeting is expected today,” Oleksandr Bevz, an adviser in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, said without giving further details.
Putin told Witkoff at Tuesday’s meeting that some of the points in a US-backed plan to end the war in Ukraine were unacceptable to him.
Irish police investigate drones spotted near Zelenskyy’s flight path
Irish police are investigating reports of unidentified drones spotted as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane landed in Dublin earlier this week.
An Irish Navy vessel spotted several military-style drones near the flight path of Zelenskyy’s plane as he arrived in Ireland for a state visit on Monday.
The “special detective Unit (SDU) is investigating this matter. As part of this, SDU will be liaising with the Defence Forces and international security partners,” police said
Europe has faced a surge in drone activity over airports and sensitive sites, with recent incidents in Germany, France, Belgium, and Britain.
Poland reported shooting down three Russian drones in September, a claim Moscow denies.
12-year-old boy killed in Russian drone strike: Ukrainian officials
Russian drones struck a house in central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a 12-year-old boy, Ukrainian officials said Friday.
Two women were injured in the strike on Thursday night, which destroyed the house, the head of the regional military administration, Vladylsav Haivanenko, said.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had fired 137 drones overnight. In a statement, it said 80 drones had been intercepted, with 57 striking 13 locations across the country.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck a port in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
Russian officials confirmed the strike, saying it sparked a fire and damaged infrastructure at the port in Temryuk on the Sea of Azov.
Port workers were evacuated, and no injuries were reported, according to the Russian TASS news agency.
Ukraine also launched a drone strike on the city of Syzran, on the Volga River, the local mayor said.
Unconfirmed reports in Ukrainian media said the drones had struck an oil refinery in Syzran, starting a fire.
Russia’s defense ministry said 85 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted overnight over Russia and Crimea.
Russia to keep fighting unless Ukraine agrees to settle, Kremlin says
Russia’s presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue its war in Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to a peace deal on Moscow’s terms.
Russia is insisting that Ukraine cede large parts of its territory in the eastern Donbas region, much of which is occupied by Russian forces.
Peskov pointed out that Russian troops were gaining ground in eastern Ukraine — a claim Ukraine and its European partners contest.
“Therefore, if we are unable to resolve the problem and achieve our goals through peaceful means, we will continue the [Special Military Operation] and do everything necessary to protect our interests,” the spokesman said.
Peskov’s statement comes amid a renewed push for diplomacy between officials from Europe, Ukraine, the US and Russia in recent days.
Macron says unity between US, Europe on Ukraine ‘essential’
French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting China on Friday, has called for more pressure to be applied on Russia to bring about an end to its war in Ukraine.
Macron, who met with China’s President Xi Jinping during his state visit, told reporters that “unity between Americans and Europeans on the Ukrainian issue is essential.”
The French leader added that the US, Europe and Ukraine “need to work together.”
Macron also said he welcomes and supports US efforts at securing a peace deal, but he pointed out that Washington “needs Europeans to lead these peace efforts.”
A report in German weekly Der Spiegel on Thursday said Macron had warned Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conference call with other European leaders that the US could “betray” Kyiv during its talks with Moscow.
The report also said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had voiced skepticism of the US’ intentions, warning that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were “playing games, both with you and with us.”
Kremlin aide touts ‘progress’ in US-Russia talks on Ukraine
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Friday he believes Washington and Moscow are “making progress” in talks to end the war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Tuesday.
According to Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, Ushakov said Russia is “ready to continue working with this American team.”
At the Kremlin meeting on Tuesday, Ushakov said the issues discussed were based on “key understandings that were reached in Anchorage,” when Trump hosted Putin in Alaska.
Ushakov also said another summit between the US and Russian presidents “could happen,” when he was asked by a Russian television reporter about whether a meeting would take place in the near future.
Heavy fighting for Pokrovsk: Is Ukraine losing the city?
While the diplomatic push for peace in Ukraine continues apace, fighting on the front in eastern Ukraine is showing no signs of relenting.
Russia claims it has occupied the key strategic city of Pokrovsk as well as Vovchansk in Donetsk region. Kyiv and its Western partners deny the claims, accusing Russia of propaganda.
How is the situation in Pokrovks developing and what are the dangers for the nearby city of Myrnohrad?
In India, Putin talks Ukraine with Modi
Vladimir Putin is in India on Friday, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin is in New Delhi to shore up Russia’s relations with the South Asian giant, particularly in trade, security and energy.
Despite Western sanctions and pressure, India has continued to purchase Russian oil and gas, which are crucial for Moscow’s war effort.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, Putin has briefed Modi on the situation in Ukraine.
Read more about Putin’s visit to India.
What are Russia’s frozen central bank assets? And why is Belgium reluctant to use them?
Friedrich Merz has said that Berlin is aware of the Belgian government’s concerns over leveraging frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, as proposed by the European Commission on Wednesday.
While Merz said he “takes them seriously,” he is expected to try to convince Belgium PM Bart de Wever “that the path we are proposing here is the right one.”
So, what are Russia’s frozen assets, and why is Belgium resisting the European Commission’s plan?
In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, nearly €300 billion ($347 billion) of its assets outside Russia were frozen as a result of Western sanctions
These assets include bank accounts, securities, real estate and yachts
The biggest chunk of the assets lies in EU member countries, and the largest of all in Belgium
Euroclear, a Brussels-based financial depository, holds roughly €180 billion in frozen Russian assets
Belgium is concerned about the legality of using the assets to fund Ukraine
Brussels has so far refused to approve the plan amid fears of legal consequences and retaliation from Russia
Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot has said it is “not acceptable to use the money and leave us alone to face the risks”
Merz set for emergency talks with Belgian PM: What to know
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to Brussels on Friday for a private dinner meeting to speak with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The meeting has been hastily arranged at the last minute; Merz had originally been scheduled to visit Norway on Friday.
No official explanation was given for the shift, but the timing is notable: it comes just one day after the European Commission unveiled a proposal to raise €90 billion (about $105 billion) for Ukraine, with some of it generated by frozen Russian assets.
Merz and his government strongly support the initiative. In an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he argued that the financial risks should be shared fairly among EU member states, proportionate to their economic strength.
Belgium, which holds the largest share of frozen Russian assets, has voiced concerns about the legality of such a move. Despite Merz’s assurances, Brussels remains unconvinced.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reiterated Berlin’s stance on Thursday, saying the government is “pursuing the clear political goal of making these assets usable” to help Ukraine sustain its defense and basic services. He stressed that consultations with all EU partners were ongoing.
The decision to arrange a private dinner of national leaders at short notice underscores the complexity of the negotiations.
While Merz, von der Leyen and De Wever all identify as conservatives, De Wever’s party sits with the hard-right bloc in the European Parliament, which includes euroskeptic and nationalist forces.
The stakes are high: proponents of the plan hope EU leaders will reach an agreement at their summit from December 18 to 19.
Welcome to our coverage
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Friday.
Merz will have a private dinner with de Wever and von der Leyen on Friday evening, where the leaders are set to discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
His trip to Brussels comes amid a renewed, US-led push for a ceasefire.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner met with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Witkoff and Kushner discussed revisions to a US plan for peace in Ukraine.
The Kremlin says Putin accepted some of the US proposals, but major sticking points remain including provisions that would see Ukraine ceding territory to Russia.
They then met with Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov in Miami on Thursday night as part of Washington’s increasingly urgent shuttle diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Putin is in India meeting with Narendra Modi as he looks to cement ties with one of the main buyers of Russian oil and gas, which the US says helps finance the Kremlin’s war chest.
Stay tuned as PasarModern.combrings you the latest on the push for peace to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
