 "US President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on December 28. File Photo/Reuters")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Miami on Sunday ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a possible peace deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to a CNN report, Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Trump later on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The talks come amid renewed US efforts to broker an end to the conflict, now Europe’s deadliest war since World War II.
Zelenskyy’s 20-point peace plan
Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy told reporters that he would present a new 20-point peace plan. The proposal includes the idea of a demilitarised zone and is also expected to address US security guarantees for Ukraine’s future.
Trump has indicated that he is not rushing to endorse Zelenskyy’s proposal. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got,” Trump told Politico, underlining his cautious approach to the talks.
Pressure on Kyiv
The remarks highlight how much Ukraine’s future hinges on persuading Trump, who has at times appeared willing to tilt towards Russia in pursuit of ending the war. While Moscow has shown little movement from its position, the US has pushed Kyiv to step back from some of its earlier demands.
Focus on ending the war
Zelenskyy said he could not confirm whether Sunday’s meeting would lead to a final agreement, but stressed that both sides would aim to “finalise as much as we can”. The war, which began in February 2022, has killed tens of thousands of people.
Prospects of wider talks
Trump said he expected a productive meeting with Zelenskyy and expressed hope of speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. “I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” he said.
The comments followed Zelenskyy’s earlier discussions with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, which the Ukrainian President described as a “good conversation”.
Territorial concessions and next steps
The new peace plan, shaped with Ukrainian input, marks Kyiv’s clearest indication yet of possible territorial concessions. It differs sharply from an earlier 28-point US proposal put forward last month that aligned with several of Russia’s core demands.
Zelenskyy said the 20-point plan prepared by Ukrainian and US officials is “90 percent ready” and that he plans to discuss with Trump how Ukraine’s allies could guarantee the country’s security going forward, CNN reported.