Today, we had a very good conversation with President Trump's special representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

We discussed some essential details of the work. There are good ideas that can work for a common result and lasting peace. Real security, real recovery, real peace—this is what we all need in Ukraine, in the United States, in Europe, and from every partner who helps us. I hope that our Christmas agreements and ideas discussed today will be useful.

We agreed that Rustem Umerov would talk to Steve and Jared today. We believe it's right not to lose a single day and a single opportunity that could bring us closer to a result.

Let our conversation today be another step towards peace.

Today we talked for almost an hour with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and it was a really good conversation with a lot of details. There are good ideas, and we discussed them.

There are some of our new ideas on how to bring real peace closer, and this concerns formats and meetings and, of course, timing. It is important if we manage to organize what we talked about today.

Some documents are already ready. I see that they are almost completely ready. Of course, we still need to work on sensitive issues, but together with the American team, we understand how to ensure all this.

The coming weeks may also be intense.

The child born today in Bethlehem is the same Jesus who says, "Peace be in me! In the world you have tribulations, but take courage! I have overcome the world!"

Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria: trusting in these divine words and practicing justice will bring peace; honoring justice will bring tranquility and security forever.

We pray in a special way for the tormented people of Ukraine.

If you silence the roar of arms, the parties involved, supported by the commitment of the international community, may find the courage to engage in sincere, direct, and respectful dialogue.

From the child of Bethlehem, we implore peace and consolation for the victims of all the wars underway in the world, especially the forgotten ones, and for those who suffer from injustice, political instability, religious persecution, and terrorism.

I remember in particular our brothers and sisters from Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In these final days of the Jubilee of Hope, we pray to the God-made-man for the beloved people of Haiti, that all forms of violence may cease in the country and that progress may be made on the path of peace and reconciliation.

May the Child Jesus inspire all those with political responsibilities in Latin America so that, in facing the many challenges, space has been given to dialogue for the common good, rather than ideological and partisan preclusions.

We ask the Prince of Peace to illuminate Myanmar with the light of a future of reconciliation. May he restore hope to the younger generations, guide the entire Burmese people on the paths of peace, and accompany those who live without a home, security, or confidence in the future.

We ask him to restore the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia and to ensure that the parties involved continue to work for reconciliation and peace.

Let us not be overcome by indifference toward those who suffer, because God is not indifferent to our miseries.

In becoming man, Jesus takes upon himself our fragility; he identifies with each of us, with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those gripped by hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean or crossing the American continent; with those who have lost their jobs and those seeking one, like so many young people struggling to find employment; with those who are exploited, like too many underpaid workers; and with those in prison and often living in inhumane conditions.

The cry for peace that rises from every land reaches the heart of God, as a poet writes, not the peace of a ceasefire, not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb, but rather like the peace in the heart when the excitement has ended and one can only speak of great weariness.

If the U.S. fails to reach an agreement to halt Iran's ballistic missile program, a confrontation with Iran may become necessary.

The threat posed by these ballistic missiles is extremely serious, and the launch of a large number of them could cause damage comparable to that of a small atomic bomb.

In the first days of the war, they sent messages and intermediaries, asking us to negotiate. They were tweeting unconditional surrender.

Under the guidance and wisdom of the Supreme Leader, we chose resistance. We chose martyrdom.

By the twelfth day, the Americans sent a message saying the Zionist regime would stop from 4 AM, and asked us to stop as well.

In just ten days, unconditional surrender became an unconditional ceasefire. Why? Because of resistance. Because of our firm stance.