Before the meeting, Trump said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.
President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 28 to discuss a plan to end the years-long war with Russia.
“I do believe that we have the makings of a deal that’s good for Ukraine, good for everybody,” Trump told reporters as he welcomed the Ukrainian leader.
The leaders confirmed that the Dec. 28 meeting about a 20-point peace plan was productive but added that there is more work to be done such as negotiating security guarantees and navigating the future of eastern Ukraine’s contested Donbas region.
“There are one or two very thorny, very tough issues” relating to security, Trump told reporters after the meeting.
Zelenskyy confirmed that they have not agreed on what will happen to the Donbas region, which Moscow has repeatedly urged Ukraine to forfeit.
Russia controls 90 percent of Donbas while Ukraine’s forces cover the remaining 10 percent of the area, even though it is still controlled by Kyiv.
“Our team is very close to results,” Zelenskyy said, hinting that he still does not want to relinquish the region.
Moscow is also urging Kyiv to make a “bold decision” on Donbas and said that Russia and the United States would reject a cease-fire ahead of a settlement, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
In an X post on Dec 28, Zelenskyy wrote: “These are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year right now, and a lot can be decided before the New Year.
“We are doing everything toward this, but whether decisions will be made depends on our partners—those who help Ukraine, and those who put pressure on Russia so that Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression.”
Trump, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin before the Dec. 28 meeting, said he has not set a New Year’s Day deadline for peace but that he is hopeful that a deal will be made soon.
“I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Dec. 28.
By Jacki Thrapp and Emel Akan
