By The White House
Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have said that headway was made toward ending the war in Ukraine during talks in Florida, though the discussions stopped short of delivering a breakthrough on several of the most difficult unresolved issues.
The two leaders met on Sunday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence to discuss a revised peace proposal, parts of which have already been dismissed by Moscow. While both sides pointed to progress, key disagreements remain, particularly over territory and the structure of long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
Speaking on Monday, Zelensky said the United States had proposed security guarantees lasting 15 years. Trump had earlier suggested that an agreement on this issue was “about 95%” complete. However, significant uncertainty remains over the future of Ukraine’s contested eastern territories.
Little clarity emerged from the talks on the fate of the Donbas region, which Russia has sought to fully control since the early stages of the war. Moscow currently occupies roughly 75% of Ukraine’s Donetsk region and nearly all of neighbouring Luhansk. Together, the two areas form the Donbas.
Trump told reporters after the meeting that the issue of Donbas remained unresolved but insisted negotiations were “getting a lot closer”. The region has long been one of the biggest stumbling blocks in peace talks, with Russia refusing to back down from its demand for full control.
On Monday, the Kremlin reiterated its position that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the parts of Donbas still held by Kyiv. Ukraine, however, has proposed turning the area into a free economic zone under Ukrainian policing. Zelensky has emphasised that any decision on the region’s future must involve the Ukrainian public, according to Reuters.
Trump’s own stance on Ukraine’s lost territory has shifted repeatedly. In September, he surprised many by suggesting Ukraine might be able to reclaim occupied areas, before later walking back those remarks.
Security guarantees and possible trilateral talks
After Sunday’s meeting, Zelensky again said he believed a broader peace agreement was roughly 90% complete, echoing comments he made ahead of his visit. Both leaders also indicated progress on security guarantees, a core concern for Kyiv.
Zelensky later said the US had offered guarantees for an extendable 15-year period, but Ukraine was seeking the option of extending them to as long as 50 years. He added that Kyiv wanted the guarantees to take effect immediately upon the signing of a peace deal, Reuters reported.
Washington has not publicly confirmed the proposed timeline. On Sunday, Trump said an agreement was close and suggested European nations would assume a major role in enforcing security guarantees, with backing from the United States.
Trump also raised the possibility of trilateral talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine, saying such discussions could take place “at the right time”. While keen to add the Ukraine war to the list of conflicts he claims to have resolved, Trump cautioned that negotiations could still collapse if talks went “really badly”, potentially prolonging the war.
Zelensky said Ukrainian officials could travel to the White House in January for further discussions, possibly joined by European leaders, as both sides work to finalise plans for continued negotiations.
Following the Florida talks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke with allies and praised what she described as “good progress”, while stressing the importance of “ironclad security guarantees” for Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Ukraine’s allies would gather in Paris next month to discuss security arrangements. Zelensky later said any peace deal should ultimately be put to a referendum in Ukraine, noting that a 60-day ceasefire would be required to allow such a vote.
Russia, however, has rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire. The issue reportedly featured in a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of Sunday’s meeting.
Yuri Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to the US, said Trump listened to Moscow’s assessment of the proposals and that both leaders agreed a temporary ceasefire proposed by the EU and Ukraine would only extend the conflict.
Trump, who initiated the call, acknowledged Russia’s opposition to a pause that would allow Ukraine to hold a referendum. “I understand that position,” he said.
Few additional details were provided, although Trump said he believed Putin “wants Ukraine to succeed”.
Meanwhile, fighting continued overnight in Ukraine. Kyiv said Russia carried out 25 airstrikes on Sunday, with Ukrainian defences shooting down 21 of them.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed it intercepted 89 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them over the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border.
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