KYIV: Russia is open to hearing President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 proposals on ending the war, an official said, as a Russian drone killed one person and wounded 13 in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and the European Union foreign policy chief held talks in Kyiv after the change in US leadership.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington were 鈥渆xchanging signals鈥� on Ukraine via 鈥渃losed channels.鈥� He did not specify whether the communication was with the current administration or Trump and members of his incoming administration.
Russia is ready to listen to Trump鈥檚 proposals on Ukraine provided these were 鈥渋deas on how to move forward in the area of settlement, and not in the area of further pumping the Kyiv regime with all kinds of aid,鈥� Ryabkov said Saturday in an interview with Russian state news agency Interfax.
In Kyiv, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that Ukraine is ready to work with the Trump administration.
鈥淩emember that President (Volodymyr) Zelensky was one of the first world leaders ... to greet President Trump,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a sincere conversation (and) an exchange of thoughts regarding further cooperation.鈥�
鈥淎lso during the telephone conversation, further steps to establish communication between teams were discussed and this work has also begun. Therefore, we are open for further cooperation and I鈥檓 sure that a unified goal of reaching just peace unites all of us,鈥� Sybiha said.
Sybiha appeared alongside EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said his visit is meant to stress the European Union鈥檚 support to Ukraine.
鈥淭his support remains unwavering. This support is absolutely needed, for you to continue defending yourself against Russian aggression,鈥� he said.
Borrell urged 鈥渇aster deliveries and fewer self imposed red lines鈥� in getting Western weapons to Ukraine. He had appealed to allies in August to lift restrictions on Ukraine鈥檚 use of Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike Russian military targets.
In Odesa, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said high-rise residential buildings, private houses and warehouses in the Black Sea port city were damaged overnight by the 鈥渇all鈥� of a drone. He did not specify whether the drone had been shot down by air defenses.
A further 32 Russian drones were shot down over 10 Ukrainian regions, while 18 were 鈥渓ost,鈥� according to Ukraine鈥檚 air force, likely having been electronically jammed.
A Russian aerial bomb struck a busy highway overnight in the northeastern Kharkiv province, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekohov said. No casualties were reported.
Russia is mounting an intensified aerial campaign that Ukrainian officials say they need more Western help to counter. However, doubts are deepening over what Kyiv can expect from a new US administration. Trump has repeatedly taken issue with US aid to Ukraine, made vague vows to end the war and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Russia, the Defense Ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over seven Russian regions 鈥� more than half over the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine.