US President Donald Trump has declared that negotiations for a US-backed peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine are now "closer than ever before" following high-stakes talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mar-a-Lago Summit and Thorny Issues
The two leaders met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday 28 December 2025, marking the latest stage in the US president's year-long effort to broker a ceasefire. During a joint press conference, Trump stated that talks on a critical security guarantee for Ukraine—a key part of any deal—were "close to 95%" complete.
However, both men acknowledged significant hurdles remain. Trump cited "one or two very thorny issues" still on the table, while Zelensky confirmed the broader 20-point draft peace plan was about 90% agreed.
Security Guarantees and the Donbas Dilemma
President Zelensky revealed that the proposed plan includes a US commitment to provide security guarantees mirroring NATO's Article 5, meaning an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from America and its allies. He stated that US-Ukraine security guarantees were "100% agreed", with trilateral US-Europe-Ukraine guarantees "almost agreed".
The most contentious unresolved point is the future of the Donbas region. Trump identified the prospect of creating a free trade zone there as a "big issue". Zelensky reiterated his conditional offer to withdraw troops from the eastern industrial heartland if Russia also pulls back and the area becomes an internationally monitored demilitarised zone.
He stressed that any such agreement affecting Ukrainian territory would require either parliamentary approval or a national referendum, a logistically complex vote that could include refugees abroad. Trump noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet agreed to a ceasefire to allow such a referendum.
International Coordination and Next Steps
During their meeting, Trump and Zelensky held a conference call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Downing Street said Sir Keir emphasised the importance of "robust security guarantees" and the urgency of ending the war.
It was agreed that Trump would host European leaders and a Ukrainian delegation for further discussions in January, potentially in Washington. The US president, who spoke with Putin by phone earlier on Sunday, said he had discussed Ukraine's post-war reconstruction with the Russian leader and claimed "Russia's going to be helping".
Despite the momentum, major obstacles persist. Zelensky continues to resist ceding the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, and Russia is likely to object to any NATO role in monitoring a ceasefire—a condition European leaders insist upon.
