Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war in Ukraine is “closer than ever” but admitted that “thorny” questions over territory have yet to be resolved, following a two-hour meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida on Sunday. The US president said a draft agreement was nearly “95% done” but acknowledged there were “one or two tough” outstanding issues, including the future of the eastern Donbas region.
Trump expressed sympathy with Russia’s reluctance to agree to a ceasefire, stating: “You have to understand the other side.” He also offered to travel to Kyiv to address Ukraine’s parliament ahead of a possible vote on a peace plan, though he said this would probably not be necessary. Zelenskyy interjected: “You are welcome always.”
The meeting came just hours after Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Trump described as “good and very productive”. Despite the positive optics, there were few signs that a genuine agreement was imminent. When asked about the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Trump gave a confused answer and said Putin was no longer bombing it.
Speaking to reporters, the two leaders discussed the latest iteration of a 20-point peace plan. Zelenskyy said US and Ukrainian negotiators had made good progress, with “90%” of the draft agreed. However, there were no signs that Russia was willing to drop its maximalist demands. According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, both sides agreed that a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and Europe would only prolong the fighting.
Fundamental problems remain, including security guarantees to prevent Russia from attacking again. Trump has made no military commitment to defend Ukraine. The original 28-point US plan, presented in November after talks with Russia, in effect demanded Ukraine’s capitulation.
