Welcome to the News Hour. President Trump said today there's been progress in the U.S.-backed effort to end the war in Ukraine.

He said an initial plan has been, as he put it, fine-tuned and that only a few points of disagreement remain.

European officials tell the NewsHour that the most contentious issues that remain include whether Ukraine would give up territory to Russia.

Trump says he's dispatching two envoys to build on recent talks in Geneva.

Special envoy Steve Wickoff will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Secretary of the Army

Dan Driscoll will confer with the Ukrainians after meeting with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi

today.

Ukraine's president, Vladimir Zelensky, was hoping for a direct meeting with President Trump. In his nightly address, he said there has been some progress made on the U.S. peace proposal.

The principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements, and it is in our shared interest that security is real.

I count on continued active cooperation with the American side and President Trump.

Much depends on the United States because it's America's strength that Russia takes most seriously.

As today. strength that Russia takes most seriously.

As today's talks unfolded, Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine,

killing at least seven people in the capital of Kiev.

Ukraine responded with drone strikes of its own on Russia.

Israel, meanwhile, says it received another set of human remains today, but it's unclear if they belong to one of the three remaining deceased hostages in Gaza.

The handover from Hamas to the Red Cross is just the latest under the fragile ceasefire that took effect last month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the remains will be taken for forensic testing

to be identified.

Meanwhile, in Gaza...

Heavy winter rains have turned roads into rivers.

Tent encampments now sit on swamps of mud and sewage water. Palestinians blame their miserable conditions on both Israel and Hamas.

...