- President Donald Trump said he made “a lot of progress” in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over a possible peace deal, but that it might take a few weeks to get it done.
- Zelenskiy said the peace framework is “90% agreed” and that US-Ukraine security guarantees are “100% agreed”, but major sticking points remain, including the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region.
- Trump said he would be willing to speak to Ukraine’s parliament or hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that he aims to convene a meeting with Zelenskiy and European leaders in January. President Donald Trump said he made “a lot of progress” in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over a possible peace deal, but that it might take a few weeks to get it done and there’s no set timeline. The pair met at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort Sunday, where they had lunch and later spoke on the phone with a group of European leaders to brief them on their progress. The tone of their news conference after the meeting was warm, even as it became clear that Trump isn’t much closer to his goal of ending the war that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022. Among the major sticking points left to be resolved: the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region, which is partially occupied by Russian forces. Trump told reporters the issue was still unresolved, but “getting a lot closer.” Trump said he would be willing to speak to Ukraine’s parliament if that would help cement a deal. He also said he could envision a trilateral meeting with Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I see that happening, sure, at the right time,” he said. “We agree that security guarantees is a key milestone in achieving lasting peace, and our teams will continue working on all aspects,” Zelenskiy said. Trump said Europe would take over a big part of the security guarantees for Ukraine. Putin has continued to press his demands, including for Ukraine to cede territories in the country’s east that Moscow’s troops have failed to capture in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. That’s even as more than 1.1 million Russian troops have been killed and wounded by Western estimates since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion that’s nearing its fifth year, and Russia’s economy faces increasing strain from unprecedented sanctions. On Saturday, Moscow launched a massive airstrike involving more than 500 drones and 40 missiles targeting Kyiv and the country’s key energy facilities — a day after a Russian official accused Ukraine and its European allies of seeking to sabotage an agreement. “Russians are pursuing a campaign built on instilling exhaustion, cold, and fear,” Ukraine Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on Telegram about the barrage, which killed one person and left about a third of Kyiv’s more than 3 million residents without heating. Russia wants Ukraine to give up a fortress belt of territory in the eastern Donetsk region that Moscow has failed to take by force. Zelenskiy rejects that demand though he has said he’s ready to agree to a demilitarized zone in the area provided Russia also pulled back its forces, something Moscow is unlikely to accept. Another key sticking point has been the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently occupied by Russia. Zelenskiy said last week that Washington was pressing for the facility to be jointly owned by all three sides, while Ukraine is offering to share the plant only with the US.