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Russian drones and missiles bomb Ukraine ahead of Zelensky-Trump meeting #Russian #drones #missiles #bomb #Ukraine #ahead #ZelenskyTrump #meeting

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People walk down a dark street during a power outage in kyiv, Ukraine, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA photo)
Kyiv:

Russia attacked kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelensky called a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to hammer out a plan to end nearly four years of war.

Zelensky presented the broad nighttime attack, which he said involved about 500 drones and 40 missiles and which knocked out power and heat in parts of the capital, as a response by Russia to ongoing peace efforts brokered by Washington.

The Ukrainian leader said Sunday’s negotiations in Florida would focus on security guarantees and territorial control once fighting ends in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbor.

The attack continued throughout the morning, with an air alert for nearly 10 hours over the capital. Authorities said two people were killed in kyiv and the surrounding region, while at least 46 people were injured, including two children.

“Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to peaceful negotiations between Ukraine and the United States to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelensky told reporters.

In Russia, air defense forces shot down eight drones heading towards Moscow, the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Saturday.

Thousands of homes without heating

Explosions echoed across kyiv from the early hours of Saturday as Ukrainian air defense units took action. The air force said Russian drones were targeting the capital and the northeast and southern regions.

State grid operator Ukrenergo said energy facilities across Ukraine had been affected and emergency power cuts had been implemented in the capital.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said the attack left more than a million homes in and around kyiv without power, with 750,000 remaining disconnected as of the afternoon.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said more than 40% of kyiv’s residential buildings remained without heating as temperatures hovered around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday.

Territorial control: a diplomatic obstacle

On his way to meeting with Trump in Florida, Zelensky stopped in Halifax, Canada, to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

In a brief statement with Zelensky at his side, Carney noted that peace “requires a willing Russia.”

“The barbarity we saw overnight – the attack on kyiv – shows how important it is that we stand with Ukraine in this difficult time,” he said, announcing an additional C$2.5 billion (US$1.83 billion) in economic aid to Ukraine.

After the meeting, Zelensky spoke with European leaders. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, then declared on

Territory and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain key diplomatic stumbling blocks, even as Zelensky told reporters in kyiv on Friday that a 20-point draft document — the cornerstone of U.S. efforts to reach a peace deal — was 90% complete.

He said the form of U.S. security guarantees was crucial and would depend on Trump and “what he is willing to give, when he is willing to give it and for how long.”

Zelensky told Axios earlier this week that the United States had offered a 15-year security guarantees deal, subject to renewal, but kyiv wanted a longer deal with legally binding provisions to guard against further Russian aggression.

Trump said the United States was the driving force behind the process.

“He has nothing until I approve him,” Trump told Politico.

“So we’ll see what he has,” he said.

Trump said he thought Sunday’s meeting would go well.

He also said he hoped to speak with Putin “soon, as much as I want.”

The fate of Donetsk is crucial

Moscow is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from a large, densely urbanized part of the eastern Donetsk region that Russian troops have failed to occupy during nearly four years of war. Kyiv wants the fighting to stop on the current lines.

Russia has advanced slowly throughout 2025, at the cost of significant losses on the drone-infested battlefield.

On Saturday, the two sides issued conflicting demands regarding two frontline towns: Myrnohrad in the east and Huliaipole in the south.

Moscow claimed to have captured both, while kyiv said it had repelled Russian assaults there.

Under a U.S. compromise, a free economic zone would be created if Ukrainian troops withdrew from parts of the Donetsk region, although the details still need to be worked out.

Axios quoted Zelensky as saying that while he was unable to push the United States to support Ukraine’s position on the land issue, he was prepared to put the 20-point plan to a referendum — provided Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire allowing Ukraine to prepare and hold the vote.

On Saturday, Zelensky said it was not possible to hold such a referendum while Russia was bombing Ukrainian cities.

He also suggested that he would be ready to engage in “dialogue” with the Ukrainian people if they disagreed with certain points of the plan.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said kyiv’s version of the 20-point plan differed from what Russia had discussed with the United States, according to the Interfax-Russia news agency.

However, he said he was optimistic that things had reached a “turning point” in the search for a settlement.



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MARKETS EUROPE/DAX is up slightly at target level #MARKETS #EUROPEDAX #slightly #target #level

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DJ MARKETS EUROPA/DAX is up slightly from the target level

DOW JONES–European stock markets are higher Tuesday afternoon. There is little news and most investors are no longer active as the start of the year approaches. We cannot exclude the so-called “window dressing” of individual stocks, i.e. the targeted maintenance of prices in the portfolios of institutional investors. On some exchanges, trading is shortened only on Tuesdays. Trading in Germany and Austria ends at 2 p.m. THIS. While today is the last trading day of the year on some exchanges, shortened listings will take place on Wednesday in Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris.

The DAX gained 0.5 percent to 24,476 points; the index is up 22 percent since the start of the year. The DAX can look back on an excellent year overall. “A closer look, however, shows that only the first half of the year was excellent for the DAX. The second half of the year was more of a sideways trend,” explains QC Partners. The MDAX is once again lagging and is up 19 percent year to date. The TecDAX has a meager yield of 5 percent. This continues the pattern of German blue-chip companies performing better in their international operations than German mid-sized companies. Whether this will change with Germany’s billion-dollar investment program remains to be seen.

The Euro-Stoxx-50 rose by 0.6 percent to 5,789 points. The majority of the year’s best-performing countries come from the South, where European economic growth was based last year. The Spanish stock market rose by 48 percent, while in Athens the index even rose by 50 percent.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro changes little, at $1.1769; During the year, the greenback lost a lot of value. This is unlikely to make it easier for European companies to sell more expensive products around the world due to the strength of the euro next year. Yields on the bond markets are up slightly. After the liquidation of the day before, precious metals are recovering. The price of gold rose 1.2 percent to $4,385, silver rose 3.8 percent to $74.90. Not surprisingly, European mining stocks were one of the day’s winners, rising 1.6 percent. Shares of silver producer Fresnillo rose 5.5 percent.

The geopolitical situation remains tense. US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a military strike if the country resumes its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Hamas was threatened with serious consequences if the terrorist organization did not lay down its arms. Finally, China is organizing one of the largest military exercises in recent years off the coast of Taiwan. This is likely a reaction to the recent announcement of US arms deliveries to the island nation.

Additionally, the United States recently carried out an attack on a port area in Venezuela where US President Trump said drugs were being loaded onto boats and smuggled across international waters, saying a “big explosion” had occurred. Oil prices are barely reacting to this news. Brent is up 0.4 percent.

Defense stocks are recovering after the selling pressures of the day before. There is still no sign of progress in peace or ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. Rheinmetall gained 2.1 percent, Renk 2.5 percent and Hensoldt 0.9 percent.

Meanwhile, bank stocks continue to run. The sector can look forward to a good year in 2025 thanks to the rise in yields on the bond markets. Deutsche Bank gains 1.5 percent and Commerzbank 2.0 percent.

Chipmaker Infineon’s sales growth (+1.8%) is down, with only one sector seeing strong growth: semiconductors to power AI data centers. “We are seeing a strong increase in demand and many indicators suggest that this will continue in the coming years,” CEO Jochen Hanebeck told Handelsblatt. “We currently cannot deliver as much as customers order.”

=== 
INDEX           zuletzt    +/- %  absolut +/- % YTD 
Euro-Stoxx-50      5.788,57    +0,6%   36,86   +17,4% 
Stoxx-50         4.918,84    +0,5%   25,52   +13,6% 
DAX           24.476,16    +0,5%   125,04   +22,3% 
MDAX          30.548,50    +0,3%   95,97   +18,4% 
TecDAX          3.613,61    +0,4%   13,79   +5,0% 
SDAX          17.094,60    +0,5%   78,05   +22,6% 
CAC           8.141,91    +0,4%   29,89   +9,8% 
SMI           13.259,65    +0,1%   19,06   +14,2% 
ATX           5.304,29    +1,1%   56,33   +43,2% 
 
DEVISEN          zuletzt    +/- %    0:00 Mo, 18:00  % YTD 
EUR/USD          1,1769    +0,0%   1,1767   1,1756  +13,7% 
EUR/JPY          183,56    -0,1%   183,67   183,59  +13,1% 
EUR/CHF          0,9286    -0,1%   0,9291   0,9287  -1,0% 
EUR/GBP          0,8715    -0,0%   0,8716   0,8712  +5,4% 
USD/JPY          155,94    -0,1%   156,03   156,12  -0,5% 
GBP/USD          1,3505    +0,0%   1,3502   1,3494  +7,9% 
USD/CNY          7,0292    -0,0%   7,0312   7,0324  -2,3% 
USD/CNH          6,9881    -0,2%   6,9987   7,0001  -4,5% 
AUS/USD          0,6701    +0,1%   0,6693   0,6690  +8,4% 
Bitcoin/USD       87.770,40    +0,6% 87.232,35 87.544,55  -7,3% 
 
ROHÖL           zuletzt VT-Settlem.   +/- %  +/- USD  % YTD 
WTI/Nymex          58,29    58,08   +0,4%    0,21  -20,9% 
Brent/ICE          62,12    61,94   +0,3%    0,18  -19,4% 
 
METALLE          zuletzt    Vortag   +/- %  +/- USD  % YTD 
Gold           4.384,52   4.330,40   +1,2%   54,12  +72,8% 
Silber           74,90    72,18   +3,8%    2,73 +173,6% 
Platin          1.854,76   1.791,70   +3,5%   63,06 +137,7% 
Kupfer            5,49     5,49     0%    0,00  +33,6% 
YTD bezogen auf Schlussstand des Vortags 
(Angaben ohne Gewähr) 
=== 

Contact the author: maerkte.de@dowjones.com

DJG/thl/ros

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 30, 2025 7:01 a.m. ET (12:01 p.m. GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.



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Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic prepares for MRI after injuring knee in Miami #Nuggets #Nikola #Jokic #prepares #MRI #injuring #knee #Miami

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MIAMI — Nuggets star Nikola Jokic limped off the court at halftime of Denver’s 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night after injuring his left knee about three seconds before intermission.

He was not on the field in the second half and will have an MRI on Tuesday.

“Immediately he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “Hey, that’s part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt in this game, it’s a little heartbreaking, especially someone as special as him. We’ll know more tomorrow. We’ll move forward as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like this.”

Jokic was alone under the basket and appeared to step forward to help Denver’s Spencer Jones defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. as time was about to expire in the second quarter. While reversing, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and it appeared the center’s knee bent a bit.

Jokic collapsed on the court, grabbing his knee. He was helped to his feet, then made his way to the locker room under his own power but with a pronounced limp. He was evaluated by doctors Monday night before leaving the arena, and the Nuggets were scheduled to fly to Toronto on Tuesday for a game against the Raptors on Wednesday.

“It’s just part of this process,” Adelman said. “You don’t get definitive answers right after these things happen. I know he’s an extremely special player that people want updates on immediately; that makes perfect sense to me. But we will follow the process properly, for him and for our team.”

The Nuggets have faced major injury issues this season and were playing Monday without three potential contenders: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring sprain) and Cameron Johnson (right knee injury management).

Denver has managed to fight its way through these injuries – thanks in large part to Jokic.

“The things he’s doing this year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Monday’s game, “are really remarkable.”

Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in the first half on Monday. If he sits out for any length of time, it will be a major blow to Denver and, in some ways, the entire NBA, given that he is one of the game’s superstars. Even a month’s absence would mean about 16 games, which could have a serious impact on Denver’s standing in a loaded Western Conference.

“Tonight my mind is going to wander,” Adelman said. “And there will be questions about what we should do in the future if he is out for a while or a long period of time.”

Jokic is a three-time MVP and was certainly early in the MVP conversation this season, having started Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists – on track to average a triple-double for the second straight campaign.

“He’s not only a big part of what we do, but almost everything we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy, and everyone here is ready to step up.”

Jokic has also been remarkably durable. He has missed 36 games over the past five seasons; the Nuggets went 13-23 during those absences. He played in all 32 games for Denver this season.

“I hope for the best,” Adelman said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking Putin’s residence with drones; Kyiv denies allegations #Russia #accuses #Ukraine #attacking #Putins #residence #drones #Kyiv #denies #allegations

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The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in the Novgorod region, a claim kyiv dismissed as a “fabrication” intended to derail ongoing peace talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine deployed 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight from Sunday to Monday. He claimed that all drones were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defenses and that there were no casualties or damage. Lavrov called Ukraine’s actions “state terrorism” and warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position in the U.S.-led peace process.

Ukraine has strongly denied these allegations. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the claims “typical Russian lies” designed to justify further attacks on Ukraine and undermine peace efforts with the United States. “It is essential that the world does not remain silent now,” Zelensky said on X, calling for continued international support for the negotiations.

The accusation comes shortly after Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a revised peace plan. Ukraine says it has accepted 90% of the US proposal, including post-war security guarantees, although territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Zelensky rejected the request

Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky said that while there is a “possibility of ending this war” by 2026, Ukraine still counts on support from the United States. He also expressed skepticism about Putin’s desire to seek peace.

The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has left much of the eastern Donbass region disputed. Russia controls around 75% of Donetsk and 99% of Luhansk, while Ukraine continues to resist Moscow’s advances.

As tensions rise, international attention is now focused on whether alleged attacks like the one on Putin’s residence further complicate the fragile peace process.



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