U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging that the future of the disputed Donbas region remains a key unresolved issue.
The two leaders made the remarks at a joint news conference following talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Both sides reported progress on two of the most contentious aspects of the negotiations—security guarantees for Ukraine and the territorial division of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas, which Russia has sought to capture.
However, neither leader offered specific details or a timeline for finalising a peace agreement. Trump said it would become clear “in a few weeks” whether negotiations would succeed, adding that several “thorny issues” related to territory still need to be resolved.
Zelenskiy said an agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine had already been reached. Trump was more cautious, saying talks were “95% of the way” toward such an agreement and that he expected European countries to take on a major role, with U.S. backing.
Following the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron said progress had been made on security guarantees. In a post on X, he said countries in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” would meet in Paris in early January to finalise their “concrete contributions.”
Donbas Still Unsettled
Zelenskiy has previously said he hopes to soften a U.S. proposal that would require Ukrainian forces to withdraw completely from Donbas—an outcome that would mean ceding territory currently held by Kyiv. While Moscow insists on full control of the region, Ukraine wants the frontlines frozen at current positions.
Both Trump and Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the fate of Donbas remains unresolved, though Trump said discussions were “moving in the right direction.” The United States has floated the idea of establishing a free economic zone if Ukraine withdraws, though details remain unclear.
“It’s unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer. That’s a very tough issue,” Trump said.
Zelenskiy described security guarantees as “the key milestone in achieving a lasting peace,” though little detail was provided on how post-war security would be ensured.
Zelenskiy said any final peace agreement would require approval by Ukraine’s parliament or a national referendum. Trump said he would be willing to address parliament if it helped secure the deal.
Trump-Putin Call Before Zelenskiy Meeting
Ahead of Zelenskiy’s arrival in Florida, Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call Trump described as “productive” and the Kremlin characterised as “friendly.”
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump that a 60-day ceasefire proposal backed by the European Union and Ukraine would only prolong the war, and urged Kyiv to make a swift decision on Donbas.
Trump said the call lasted more than two hours and claimed Putin pledged to help rebuild Ukraine, including by supplying cheap energy.
“Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump said. “It sounds a little strange.”
Trump added that he would speak to Putin again following his talks with Zelenskiy. The Kremlin later expressed support for Trump’s mediation efforts.
“The whole world appreciates President Trump and his team’s peace efforts,” Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, said in a post on X.
Nuclear Plant and Battlefield Developments
U.S. negotiators have also proposed shared control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said power line repairs have begun following another locally brokered ceasefire.
Trump said progress had been made on the plant’s future and noted that it could be brought back online “almost immediately,” calling Russia’s restraint from attacking the facility “a big step.”
Russia controls Crimea, annexed in 2014, and since launching its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago has taken control of about 12% of Ukraine’s territory, including most of Donbas and large portions of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to Russian estimates.
A day before Zelenskiy’s visit, Russian forces launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, knocking out power and heating in parts of the capital. Zelenskiy described the strikes as Moscow’s response to U.S.-brokered peace efforts.
Trump, however, said on Sunday that he believes both Putin and Zelenskiy are serious about ending the war.
European leaders joined parts of Sunday’s meeting by phone. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe remains ready to work with Ukraine and the United States, stressing that robust security guarantees are of “paramount” importance.
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said European leaders emphasised the urgency of ending what they described as a “barbaric war.”
Source: Reuters
