Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who immediately insisted that Moscow was “serious” about peace despite the assault.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war were “closer than ever before” following what he called a “terrific meeting” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Trump, who had promised a truce on day one of his second presidency, however, acknowledged that the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years.
He noted it would become clear within weeks whether it was possible to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people since February 2022.
What Trump Said
“We’ve done very well. We’ve had discussions on just about every subject,” Trump told reporters after the meeting, adding that the two sides had “made a lot of progress on ending that war.”
Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke with the US leader by telephone shortly beforehand, who immediately insisted that Moscow was “serious” about peace despite the assault.
“I really believe we’re, Mr President, probably closer than — far closer than — ever before with both parties,” Trump said, adding that “everybody wants it [war] ended.”
Both Zelensky and Trump identified deciding the future of the Donbas region as a major sticking point.
The current plan, revised after weeks of intense US-Ukrainian negotiations, would stop the war at the current frontlines in the eastern Donbas region and set up a demilitarised area, while Russia has long demanded territorial concessions.
“It’s unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer. That’s a very tough issue, but one that I think will get resolved,” Trump said.
What Zelensky Said
Trump offered to address the Ukrainian parliament to promote the plan — an idea, however unlikely, that Zelensky was quick to welcome.
The Ukrainian leader also voiced an openness to the revised US plan, marking Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions, although Ukrainian voters would need to approve it in a referendum.
He said that the peace framework laid out by Trump was “90 per cent agreed” and that “US-Ukraine security guarantees [were] 100 per cent agreed.”
Zelensky said the two sides were still finalising a “prosperity plan” for Ukraine as well as the sequencing of the various actions.
The Ukrainian president stayed studiously polite throughout his visit, mindful of his disastrous White House meeting on February 28, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated him for not being sufficiently grateful.
After their talks, Zelensky and Trump spoke jointly by telephone with key European leaders, who have been particularly alarmed about any decisions that would embolden Russia.
Zelensky said that he and European leaders could return jointly for talks with Trump in Washington in January.
Russia’s Reaction
By contrast, Russia has shown no signs of compromise, as it sees hope in the grinding gains it has made over four years against tough Ukrainian defences.
The Kremlin, in its readout of talks between Putin and Trump, called on Kyiv to make a “brave decision” and immediately withdraw troops from Donbas, casting European leaders as the impediment to peace.
“Russia and the United States share the same position which is that the Ukrainian and European proposal for a temporary ceasefire (…) would only prolong the conflict and lead to a resumption of hostilities,” the Kremlin’s diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Moscow had also adamantly rejected any entrance of the former Soviet republic into NATO.
In its latest assault with drones and missiles, Russia knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of residents during freezing temperatures.
“If the authorities in Kyiv don’t want to settle this business peacefully, we’ll resolve all the problems before us by military means,” Putin said on Saturday.
