Trump says Ukraine peace deal 'closer than ever' after 2-hour-long talks with Zelenskyy in Florida

US President Donald Trump said that a deal to end the raging Russia-Ukraine war is “closer than ever” as he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida. However, Trump admitted that there are still “thorny” questions over the future of the eastern Donbas region that need to be resolved.

Trump’s remarks on the matter came after a two-hour meeting with Zelenskyy on Sunday at his residence in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. He mentioned that a draft agreement to end the war was nearly “95% done”. “I really think we are closer than ever with both sides,” he said, adding that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, also wants to “see it happen”.

The American leader acknowledged that there were “one or two tough” outstanding issues, over territory and how the war might end and expressed sympathy with Russia not wanting a ceasefire. “You have to understand the other side,” he said. He went on to offer to travel to Kyiv to address Ukraine’s parliament ahead of a possible vote on a peace plan.

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Trump quipped that a visit to the war-torn nation would probably not be necessary. “You are welcome always,” Zelenskyy interjected. During his talks with Trump, Zelenskyy reportedly thanked the US president and his team, including the president’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The two sides remain positive

It is pertinent to note that the meeting took place just hours after Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russia’s president. However, when asked about the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station – occupied since the start of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion – Trump gave a confused answer and said Putin was no longer bombing it.

“The two leaders want it to end,” Trump said, adding, “I think we can move pretty rapidly. Otherwise, it’s going to go on for a very long time.” Trump praised Zelenskyy, saying: “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.” “I do think we have the makings of a deal. We have two willing countries. We are in the final stages of talking," he added.

While speaking to the reporters after the meeting, the two leaders discussed the latest iteration of a 20-point peace plan and the unresolved question of the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Zelenskyy said that the US and Ukrainian negotiators had made good progress in recent weeks, with “90 per cent” of the draft agreed.

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In a post on TruthSocial ahead of the meeting, Trump described his one-hour-15-minute call with Putin as “good and very productive”. Asked if Putin was serious about peace, Trump replied: “I think he is.” Meanwhile, there has been no sign from Russia’s end that it will drop any of its maximalist demands.

According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, Trump “listened carefully” on Sunday to Russia’s assessment of the conflict. Both sides agreed that a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and Europe would only prolong the fighting, “and is fraught with renewed hostilities”, Ushakov said. Former Ukrainian diplomat, Maria Drutska, said Putin was trying to “sabotage things” by ringing Trump before he saw Zelenskyy. Hence, it will be interesting to see what the outcome of this two-hour-long talk is.