Trump, Zelensky say Ukraine peace deal 'very close' after Florida talks

Washington, Dec 29 US President Donald Trump said that peace negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were “very close” following what he described as a “terrific meeting” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“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.”

Trump said he and Zelensky had also spoken with several European leaders after their bilateral discussions, describing the outreach as appropriate given the stakes involved. He listed leaders from France, Finland, Poland, Norway, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We thought it was appropriate to speak with them,” Trump said. “Our meeting was excellent.”

The US president said negotiations had covered the overwhelming majority of issues required to bring the conflict to an end. “Somebody would say 95 per cent. I don’t know what percent, but we have made a lot of progress,” he said, adding that there were still “one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues.”

Noting that they discussed all aspects of the peace framework, Zelensky thanked Trump and senior members of his team, including Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for what he described as sustained engagement in the talks.

“We discussed all the aspects of the peace framework,” Zelensky said, adding that there had been “great achievements” across several areas.

He said the two sides were close to an agreement on security guarantees, calling them essential to ending the conflict. “We agreed that security guarantees are a key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” Zelensky said.

According to Zelensky, US-Ukraine security guarantees were “almost agreed,” while military elements of the plan were “100% agreed,” and a prosperity plan was being finalized.

Trump echoed the sense of momentum but cautioned that unresolved territorial issues remained complex. “The word agreed is too strong,” he said when asked about arrangements concerning the Donbas region. “But we’re getting closer to an agreement on that.”

Trump said Russia’s position on Donbas was well known. “That’s what they’ve been asking for,” he said, adding that it was an issue that would have to be “ironed out.”

Zelensky said Ukraine’s position remained grounded in law and public consent. “We have to respect our law and our people,” he said, noting that any difficult provisions could require parliamentary approval or a referendum. “It’s the land of our nation,” he said.

Trump said the Ukrainian public overwhelmingly wanted an end to the war. “They had a poll that it’s 91 per cent in favor of ending this war,” he said. “They want to end it like everybody wants it ended.”

The leaders said working groups would continue negotiations in the coming weeks. Trump said the US group would include senior officials and would also engage directly with Russia. “Because to work with ourselves doesn’t really solve much of a problem,” he said.

Zelensky said Trump had agreed to host a future meeting, possibly in Washington, that could include European leaders.

“If it went really well, maybe a few weeks,” Trump said when asked about a timeline. “And if it went poorly longer. And if it went really poorly, it’s not going to happen.”

The Ukrainian war started in February 2022. Since then, it has become Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II, resulting in massive civilian displacement and widespread destruction. The US and its European allies have provided extensive military, financial, and humanitarian support to Ukraine since the invasion.

All previous diplomatic efforts to end the war have repeatedly stalled over territorial disputes, security guarantees, and enforcement mechanisms, making the latest round of talks closely watched by governments and markets alike.

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