Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war in Ukraine is “closer than ever” but admitted that “thorny” questions over the future of the eastern Donbas region have yet to be resolved, following a two-hour meeting on Sunday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida. The US president said a draft agreement was nearly “95% done” and that both sides were willing, but acknowledged there were “one or two tough” outstanding issues over territory and how the war might end.
Trump expressed sympathy with Russia not wanting a ceasefire, saying: “You have to understand the other side.” He offered to travel to Kyiv to address Ukraine’s parliament ahead of a possible vote on a peace plan, but said he thought this would probably not be necessary. Zelenskyy interjected: “You are welcome always.”
Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked Trump and paid tribute to his US team, including envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian president said US and Ukrainian negotiators had made good progress, with “90%” of the draft agreed. However, when asked about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Trump gave a confused answer and said Putin was no longer bombing it.
The meeting took place just hours after Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russia’s president. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said both sides agreed that a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and Europe would only prolong the fighting “and is fraught with renewed hostilities”. There were no signs that Russia was willing to drop its maximalist demands, including handing over territory in northern Donetsk oblast.
Trump greeted Zelenskyy with a businesslike handshake on the steps of his residence, but no hug. US officials did not meet Zelenskyy when he arrived, in contrast to the red carpet reception given to Putin in August. One former Ukrainian diplomat, Maria Drutska, said Putin was trying to “sabotage things” by ringing Trump before he saw Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, a large-scale Russian air attack on Kyiv had taken place the previous day, which Zelenskyy described as “Russia’s answer to our peace efforts”.
