Editor’s note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights’ public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from December 22-31. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week.
A new round of negotiations between the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations begins in Florida, focused on a proposed 20-point peace plan. Over the weekend, separate talks between the United States and Russia are also scheduled to take place.
As the year draws to a close, Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly intensified pressure on Ukraine, particularly by demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entire Donbas region. Donald Trump has echoed this position, expressing hope that “Ukraine moves quickly, because Russia is there.”
Decisions with far-reaching implications for the war may be made before the end of the year, although the situation remains highly fluid and continues to evolve rapidly.
Another issue to watch in the final weeks of the year is Europe’s role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine. Earlier, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and eight other European countries signaled their readiness to lead a “multinational force” in Ukraine as part of a U.S.-backed peace proposal. Should an agreement be signed on the eve of Christmas, this component could feature prominently in the deal.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada is set to hold an additional plenary session on 27 December. Officially, the session is convened to pass in its second reading draft law No. 14093, which proposes renaming the small-denomination coin ‘kopiyka’ to ‘shah’. The initiative was put forward by the National Bank of Ukraine back in 2024 and is framed as part of the country’s broader de-Sovietization effort, aimed at eliminating symbols and legacies of the Soviet era.
At the same time, the session may also be used to vote on decisions related to the Russia–Ukraine war, which could be announced around Christmas.
Learn about how this unexpected plenary session is fuelling expectations of an imminent peace deal in the upcoming Weekly Report by KI Insights.
Russia will host an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in St. Petersburg on 21-22 December. Although once conceived as a key post‑Soviet political bloc, the CIS has long since lost real influence or geopolitical weight. Today, its gatherings focus largely on economic cooperation and cultural ties. On the eve of the summit, Moldova announced its withdrawal from the visa‑free travel agreement with CIS member states that had been in place since 1992.
From the middle of next week, the Christmas holiday period begins, during which no major developments are expected. Exceptions could arise only if consequential decisions on the war are taken.
Early next year, starting in mid-January, the first tranches of the EU’s €90 billion loan, approved on Dec. 19, are expected to be disbursed. The interest-free loan will provide Ukraine with financial support for the next two years and serves as an alternative to a reparations-style loan backed by frozen Russian assets. That option ultimately failed to materialize due to opposition from Belgium.
In Ukraine, December 22 is marked by two professional observances: the Day of Diplomatic Service Workers and Energy Workers’ Day. On December 25, Ukrainians will officially celebrate Christmas for the third consecutive year, replacing the January 7 date that had previously been observed.
Ukraine’s delegation meets American officials in US for new round of talks
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Events and Milestones:
14 January, Tallinn. Offline event: EstMil.tech 2026. An international conference focused on the challenges of technology in military decision-making, covering military AI in future conflicts, cognitive warfare, joint operations, and cooperation between armed forces, academia, and industry. More details here.24–26 February, London. Offline event: International Military Helicopter 2026. The 25th annual IMH conference brings together global military leaders, operators, and industry experts to discuss the future of rotary and uncrewed aviation, integrated vertical lift capabilities, and operating in complex environments against peer and near-peer adversaries. More details & tickets here.4 March 2026, Luxembourg. Offline event: LUCC 4th Ukraine Resilience Business Forum. Held at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, the Forum brings together public and private sector leaders to discuss investment opportunities, reconstruction, and regulatory alignment on Ukraine’s European path. Register here.6 March, Kyiv. Offline event: Smart Building Forum 2025. An international forum dedicated to smart city solutions, construction and recovery, energy efficiency, IoT, automation, security, and smart building technologies, bringing together municipalities, developers, engineers, businesses, and technology experts. More details here.7 March, Kyiv. Offline event: Kyiv AI Day 2026 Spring. Lemberg Tech Business School organizes a one-day conference for the Ukrainian Data Science and AI community with three tracks: Data Science Solutions, Machine Learning, and AI Business. More details here.
If you have an upcoming event that you would like featured in our newsletter, please get in touch via insights@kyivindependent.com.
