Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described US President Donald Trump’s proposal to freeze the Ukraine conflict at current frontlines as a “good compromise,” though he expressed doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree. Zelenskyy’s remarks came during his diplomatic visits to Nordic countries, amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv killed six people, including children, and injured several more. In Kharkiv, a Russian drone hit a kindergarten, killing one person and injuring seven others. Ukrainian authorities said all children were evacuated and many were showing acute stress reactions. Zelenskyy condemned the attacks as acts of terrorism and emphasized the urgency of international support for Ukraine’s defence.
Zelenskyy also visited Norway, where the government announced an additional $150 million in energy aid to purchase natural gas for winter electricity and heating. He thanked Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and discussed Ukraine’s air defence and missile needs, drone production, and broader defence cooperation.
In Sweden, Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed a letter of intent to supply Ukraine with up to 150 Saab JAS Gripen fighter jets. Zelenskyy said Ukraine aims to receive and deploy the jets next year, highlighting their priority for enhancing manoeuvrability and strengthening the country’s air defence capabilities. Ukrainian pilots have already tested the Gripens in Sweden to facilitate future operations.
Russia, meanwhile, claimed to have captured villages in southeastern Ukraine and launched a major nuclear training exercise, displaying intercontinental ballistic missile drills. The war continues to escalate, even as plans for a second Trump-Putin summit in Budapest were put on hold, and European nations coordinate further aid and reparations measures for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Brussels and London later this week for meetings with EU and allied leaders on energy security, defence aid, and reconstruction following repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.