Odesa Strike Kills Eight as US Hosts Kremlin Envoy for Ukraine Peace Talks

A devastating Russian missile strike on a port in Odesa, Ukraine, has left eight people dead and 27 injured. The attack occurred as a Kremlin envoy prepared to travel to the US for talks on a proposed peace plan to end the four-year conflict. The US has been pushing for peace negotiations, with discussions taking place with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin earlier this week. European Union leaders have pledged a massive interest-free loan of 90 billion euros to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his reliance on the US response to the proposed peace plan, stating that the key question remains how the US will respond after consulting with Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine has launched drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, including a drilling platform operated by Lukoil, a Russian oil giant targeted by recent US sanctions. The conflict, which is soon to enter its fifth year, has seen both sides engage in long-range strikes on each other's oil facilities. US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war through diplomatic means have faced resistance from Moscow and Kyiv, with Russian President Vladimir Putin signaling that he is determined to achieve his goals militarily. EU leaders have agreed to provide financial support to Ukraine, but the country's government is on the verge of bankruptcy, with a pressing need for funds by spring. In a separate development, a meeting is set to take place in Miami between the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, and US envoy Steve Witkoff, with talks expected to focus on US security guarantees, territorial concessions, and other aspects of the proposed peace plan.