Diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine continue, marked by recent talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami, Florida. Although no immediate breakthrough was announced by the end of Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the discussions with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as "very substantive and constructive." Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's dedication to working honestly with the American side to achieve "real peace" and indicated that the parties had agreed on subsequent steps and a format for future talks.

Following these engagements, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit London on Monday for in-person meetings with prominent European leaders: Keir Starmer of Britain, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Friedrich Merz of Germany. This meeting will build upon a virtual gathering of the "coalition of the willing" held approximately two weeks prior, where the leaders deliberated plans for establishing a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine should a ceasefire materialize.

French President Emmanuel Macron strongly denounced what he termed Russia's "escalatory path." He reaffirmed ongoing collaborative efforts with the United States to furnish Ukraine with essential security guarantees, asserting that without them, "no robust and lasting peace will be possible." Macron underscored the imperative to maintain pressure on Russia to compel it toward choosing peace.

Concurrently, Russian aggression persists within Ukraine. The central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk experienced a combined air strike on its infrastructure over Saturday night, leading to power and water outages in several areas. Mayor Vitalii Maletskyi announced on Sunday that city services were actively working to restore electricity, water, and heating, with a damage assessment to follow. Kremenchuk, situated on the Dnipro River, is a vital industrial hub and houses one of Ukraine’s largest oil refineries. A previous strike on a crowded shopping mall in Kremenchuk in 2022 resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people.

These attacks are part of a broader, consistent pattern of Russian military actions. Over Friday night alone, Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles against Ukraine, primarily targeting critical infrastructure, including energy sites and railways. These strikes precipitated heating and water outages for thousands of households. President Zelenskyy stated that the "main targets of these strikes, once again, were energy facilities" and that "Russia’s aim is to inflict suffering on millions of Ukrainians."

Further exacerbating the humanitarian and environmental concerns, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has declared that the protective shield over the Chornobyl disaster nuclear reactor in Ukraine can no longer perform its primary function of blocking radiation. This "new safe confinement," an intricately constructed structure costing €1.5 billion ($1.75 billion) and completed in 2019 through a Europe-led initiative, suffered a drone strike in February. An IAEA inspection last week confirmed that the drone impact had blown a hole in the structure and degraded its integrity, indicating a pressing need for major repair.

Amidst these developments, Hungary's right-wing, Putin-friendly prime minister, Viktor Orbán, revealed plans to dispatch a business delegation to Russia in anticipation of the Ukraine war's conclusion. Orbán claimed to be engaged in discussions with both Washington and Moscow, though he could not "share every detail." He expressed optimism that if the war ends without Hungary's direct involvement and if the American president succeeds in reintegrating Russia into the global economy with the dismantling of sanctions, a significantly different economic landscape would emerge. Hungarian media reports suggest that the country's MOL oil and gas firm is considering the acquisition of refineries and petrol stations in Europe currently owned by Russian groups Lukoil and Gazprom, both of which are under US sanctions. Under Orbán’s governance, Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian oil and gas, diverging from other European Union nations that have diversified their imports away from Russia since the February 2022 invasion.

In a related maritime incident, Bulgaria has strongly denounced the towing of the crippled tanker Kairos into its territorial waters. The vessel had been struck in a drone attack, claimed by Ukraine, just over a week prior. A Turkish ship towed the Kairos to Bulgarian waters before returning to Turkey, prompting Rumen Nikolov, director general of Bulgarian maritime rescue and relief operations, to label the act "not normal" and seek an explanation through diplomatic channels. Ten crew members on board had requested evacuation, but adverse weather conditions precluded it at the time, according to the Bulgarian transport ministry. The Kairos, along with another Gambian-flagged tanker, the Virat, were attacked on November 28 in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast. Both tankers are subject to Western sanctions, identified as part of the "shadow fleet" that illicitly and unsafely continues to export Russian oil, and were reportedly en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Ukraine had previously confirmed its targeting of vessels "covertly transporting Russian oil."