Strategic Tug-of-War: Russia Claims Pokrovsk as Zelenskyy Nears U.S. Security Pact

Geopolitical tensions reached a fever pitch as 2025 draws to a close. While Russian forces claim significant territorial gains in the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump have signaled that a revised 20-point peace plan is “95% agreed.” The framework includes “NATO-style” security guarantees and an $800 billion reconstruction goal, though the status of the Donbas region remains a critical deadlock.