Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday for what the US president described as 'terrific' bilateral talks, claiming 'a lot of progress' had been made. However, there was little evidence of a major breakthrough on key issues in the peace process, with Zelenskyy saying before and after the meeting that 90% of the plan was complete.
Trump acknowledged that 'one or two thorny issues remain' and that unexpected problems could arise. He identified the question of territory as an 'unresolved issue', expressing belief it could be resolved without specifying how. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine's position on the Donbas region differs from Russia's, stating, 'We have to respect our law and our people.'
On security guarantees—described by Zelenskyy as 'the key milestone in achieving lasting peace'—the Ukrainian president said they were '100% agreed', though teams will continue to work on finalising all discussed matters. Trump hinted at the possibility of a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the US 'at the right time', suggesting Vladimir Putin 'wants to see it happen', but no timeline was offered.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmar spoke with Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders earlier in the day, emphasising the need to 'sustain momentum' in the peace talks. A Downing Street spokesman said the discussion 'focused on ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace', with leaders commending Trump for progress achieved and underlining the importance of robust security guarantees.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, Russia continued its bombing campaign in Ukraine during the talks. Zelenskyy posted on Telegram thanking Trump for a 'wonderful meeting', adding that the Ukrainian and US teams would meet next week to finalise issues, and that Trump had agreed to host Ukrainian and European leaders in Washington in January.
