Zelenskyy says draft security documents ready as Ukraine warns of Christmas strikes

• Negotiating team returning from Miami with 20-point plan framework, Zelenskyy announces
• Military on high alert for 'massive' Russian strikes on Dec. 23-25

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that all core documents on security guarantees between Ukraine, European countries and the US are ready while warning that intelligence suggests that Russia may carry out "massive strikes" during the Christmas holiday period.

“Our negotiating team is now returning from Miami...In my view, everything possible that we needed to do for the initial drafts had already been done,” Zelenskyy said in an evening address following a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

He revealed that a 20-point plan is in place featuring security guarantees between Ukraine, European partners and the US, including a separate bilateral document with Washington that would require US Congressional approval.

Regarding immediate security threats, Zelenskyy emphasized that air defense remains the "number one issue" for the protection of Ukrainian communities on Dec. 23, 24 and 25.

"We understand that precisely on these days, they may – this is in their nature – carry out massive strikes on Christmas," he said.

He said he ordered the intelligence services to step up work to provide a clear picture after Russia rejected proposals from Germany and the US for a holiday ceasefire.

Zelenskyy also acknowledged that there is a shortage of air defense systems. To address this, he said, Ukraine is working on a "strong contract" with the US to procure "several dozen" Patriot systems through various programs.

On the diplomatic front, he added that the US is continuing negotiations with Russian officials.

“The Americans are currently continuing negotiations with Russian representatives. They will hold talks, and then we will receive feedback from them. From our side, they have received all the information,” he said, noting there are certain points that Kyiv is not prepared to accept.

Ukraine to respond

Zelenskyy also warned that Kyiv will respond “in a fully logical way” if Russia does not commit seriously to negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year war, following the General Staff meeting

"We reviewed the situation at the front, across all sectors, in detail," he said.

He said Russian forces have significantly increased the intensity of their attacks in recent weeks, claiming that this has also led to higher Russian losses.

"We will continue to maintain this dynamic – if the Russians do not commit with 100% seriousness to the negotiation process and direct their resources toward prolonging and expanding the war, we will respond in a fully logical way – with our actions in response," he said.

Zelenskyy said the meeting also included briefings on "our deep strikes" as well as on the needs and provisioning of the defense forces.

He said the state of air defense, including “air defense coverage of the front and our regions,” particularly Odesa, was also discussed.

Meanwhile, he added, several candidates for the position of commander of the Air Command South have been presented and decisions are being made.

Pokrovsk and Kupyansk

Providing a frontline update, the president said the situation in Pokrovsk remains unchanged, with approximately 1,100 Russian troops inside the city, while Ukrainian forces have advanced about half a kilometer in Kupyansk.

He also confirmed that 52 Ukrainian civilians and 13 servicemen were taken prisoner by Russian forces in a border village in the Sumy region, noting that Ukrainian forces refrained from using artillery to avoid civilian casualties.

Zelenskyy further outlined a three-tier security framework for the future: a funded 800,000-strong army, EU membership, and a "Coalition of the Willing" involving 30 countries to provide air, land and sea security.

Earlier in the day, Russian authorities said a car bomb explosion in southern Moscow killed Lt. Gen. ⁠Fanil Sarvarov, the head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff.

There has been no direct comment from Kyiv regarding the killing.