Ukraine, US, allies held secret meeting on peace plan - Bloomberg

That's according to Bloomberg, which refers to people familiar with the matter, Ukrinform reports.

The previously undisclosed December 16 meeting of national security advisers was held in Saudi Arabia and followed larger, publicized gatherings aimed at countering Moscow's attempts to divide and paint Ukraine and its allies as unwilling to negotiate an end to the war.

The secrecy was aimed in part at making participant countries feel more comfortable about joining. The smaller format allowed for a freer, more frank discussion on Ukraine's so-called peace formula and plans for moving that process forward as well as principles for potentially engaging with Russia in future, the people said.

Kyiv and its G7 allies reiterated their view that a just peace must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and said that Russian President Putin's objectives have not changed, that he shows no sign of serious willingness to hold substantive talks and that he does not respect previous agreements. Allies have stated clearly that they will continue to support Ukraine, and the EU and the U.S. have expressed confidence that support packages will be agreed upon.

Ukraine and its allies scheduled the next meeting of the expanded group in Switzerland next week ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos and invited more than 100 countries to join.

Kyiv wants to hold a leaders' summit on the project early this year and use it as a springboard to create a plan based on agreed principles as the basis for any future negotiations with Moscow.

The withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine is a key point of the peace formula for Ukraine. Other points include the return of deported children and prisoners of war, as well as ensuring food and energy security.

All participants in the discussion in Riyadh recognized Ukraine's right to self-defense and agreed on the need to observe the key principles of the United Nations - including respect for the territorial integrity of states - and international law.