US President Donald Trump has said security guarantees aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are “95 per cent done” following high-level peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Trump said a deal to end the conflict was “a lot closer” after an afternoon of negotiations with Mr Zelensky and a subsequent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He suggested a final agreement could be reached within “a few weeks”, adding that a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine and Russia was likely.
“I think we’re doing very well. We could be very close,” Mr Trump told reporters during a joint press conference. “There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues, but I think we’re doing very well. In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other.”
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According to the Kremlin, Mr Trump and Mr Putin exchanged Christmas greetings during their call and discussed the need for Ukraine to make a decision on the future of the eastern Donbas region as part of a settlement without a temporary ceasefire. Mr Trump later described Mr Putin as “very serious” about peace.
The talks focused on resolving remaining disagreements in a proposed 20-point peace plan developed by Ukrainian and US officials, which Mr Zelensky has previously described as “90 per cent there”. Key sticking points include territorial concessions, particularly the status of Donbas and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.
Mr Trump said there was no fixed deadline for a deal, but claimed it would bring “great economic benefit for Ukraine”. He also insisted that Russia would support Ukraine’s reconstruction, saying: “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.”
On the Zaporizhzhia plant, Mr Trump said Mr Putin was keen to see it reopened and was “working with Ukraine” to achieve that goal. Discussions on a proposed free trade zone in Donbas, however, remain unresolved, though Mr Trump said progress was being made.
European leaders were said to be “very much involved” in the peace process, with Mr Trump confirming he had briefed them following the talks. He added that the United States was likely to host a delegation of Ukrainian and European leaders in January.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also spoke with Mr Trump, Mr Zelensky and European counterparts, stressing the need to maintain diplomatic momentum.
A Downing Street spokesman said the leaders “underlined the importance of robust security guarantees and reaffirmed the urgency of ending this barbaric war as soon as possible”. The Prime Minister, the spokesman added, emphasised the UK’s commitment to working closely with partners, while Mr Trump highlighted his role in driving coordinated international support for Ukraine as negotiations continue.
