Prominent Ukrainian journalist says ‘historic meeting’ to end ‘hot phase of war’ set for December 30

Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon said that a “historic meeting” aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war is expected to take place on December 30. Gordon made the statement during a livestream on December 29.

“On December 30, 2024, if everything goes as planned — and it should — a historic meeting will be held to end the hot phase of the war. We don’t have long to wait,” he said.

He did not disclose the location or participants of the meeting, noting that such details should come from official sources.

Gordon linked the potential meeting to a recent reduction in Russian strikes on Ukraine. According to the journalist, Russian President Vladimir Putin was “asked by Washington” to refrain from launching attacks.

The Kremlin, however, denied that any peace talks are scheduled for December 30. Journalists from the Kremlin pool at the state agency RIA Novosti reported on Telegram that “there are no plans for international contacts on peace negotiations in the president’s schedule,” and added that the Kremlin currently sees “no preconditions for ending the conflict.”

Speculation about a “historic meeting” arose after reports that a Russian Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft, part of the Special Flight Detachment “Rossiya,” which transports top government officials, was in the United States between December 26 and 28, according to FlightRadar24 data.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told RBC that the aircraft was in the United States as part of a routine rotation of diplomatic mission staff.