Russia forcibly removes civilians from Ukraine, Ukraine–US peace talks progress - Weekend brief
RBC-Ukraine collage
Ukraine and the United States reported progress on key elements of a future peace plan following three days of talks in Miami. At the same time, Russian forces forcibly transported dozens of civilians from a village in Ukraine’s Sumy region to Russia, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian toll of the war.
For more details on what happened over the weekend, see the report on RBC-Ukraine.
Ukraine, US detail progress on peace plan after three-day talks
Ukraine and the United States held a series of substantive meetings in Miami from December 19 to 21, focusing on four key documents that are part of a future peace agreement, according to Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to Umerov, over the three days in Florida, the Ukrainian delegation held "a series of productive and constructive meetings" with American and European partners.
At the same time, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in Miami. His meetings lasted two days, and he reported constructive discussions.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US had proposed holding a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia at the level of national security advisors. Kyiv agreed, but Moscow rejected the proposal.
Residents taken to Russia amid occupation: Details from Sumy region
Russian troops have indeed taken civilian residents of the village of Hrabovske in the Krasnopillia community of the Sumy region to Russia.
According to his information, on December 18, Russian troops illegally detained about 50 civilians, residents of the village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region. The occupiers held them without access to means of communication and without proper conditions, and on December 20, forcibly transported them to the territory of the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, fighting for the settlement continues. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to push the enemy back into Russia.
US seizes third oil tanker off Venezuela's coast - Bloomberg
On Sunday, December 21, the US seized a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, as President Donald Trump intensified the oil blockade against Nicolás Maduro's government.
According to a Bloomberg source, the tanker involved is Bella 1, which is under US sanctions. A Panamanian-flagged vessel was reportedly headed to Venezuela to load oil.
Bloomberg notes that this seizure follows the capture of the Centuries supertanker early Saturday morning, December 20, and another tanker, Skipper, on December 10.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth warned that the US will continue to detain ships leaving Venezuela. According to him, this will continue until the Venezuelan authorities return "all stolen American assets."
Romania to open NATO's second-largest logistics hub to boost arms flow to Ukraine
Romania will open NATO's second-largest logistics center in January 2026, which will coordinate and supply arms to Ukraine alongside the existing hub in Rzeszów, Poland, reports Defense Romania, citing Mike Keller, Deputy Commander of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine.
The logistics hub will operate in tandem with the existing center in Rzeszów, Poland.
