Donald Trump on Sunday said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine are in their “final stages”, after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida and speaking by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The US President met Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence, claiming that both sides were close to an agreement. Hours earlier, Trump said he had held a lengthy call with Putin and intended to speak to him again once discussions had progressed further.
“The two leaders want it to end,” Trump told reporters. “I think we can move pretty rapidly. Otherwise it’s going to go on for a very long time.”
He 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,” Trump added. “We have two willing countries. We are in the final stages of talking.” Standing alongside Trump, Mr Zelenskyy said US and Ukrainian negotiators had made significant progress on a 20-point peace plan, with about “90%” of the draft now agreed.
Here are the main takeaways from the meeting:
The ‘Thorny Issues’ That Remain
President Trump said he believed a peace agreement was “close”, but acknowledged that “one or two very thorny issues” remained unresolved.
He declined to give a precise figure for how much of the agreement had been finalised, but suggested it could be close to 95%. The future of the eastern Donbas region, which Russia has demanded Ukraine cede, remains one of the most contentious points.
“We’re getting closer to an agreement on that. And that’s a big issue,” Trump said. “Certainly, that’s one of the big issues, and I think we’re closer.”
The US has floated the idea of a “free economic zone” in parts of Donbas, under which Ukraine would withdraw from areas as part of a negotiated settlement with Russia.
Russia has been fighting in Donbas — which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions — since 2014. Moscow is now seeking through US-mediated talks what it has not achieved on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy said the question of territory remained particularly difficult.
“You know our position,” he said. “We have to respect our law and our people. We respect the territory which we control.”
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He reiterated that any decision on territory would ultimately rest with the Ukrainian people, potentially through a referendum. Parliamentary involvement was also left open.
“We can have referendum on any kind of points of this plan,” Zelenskyy said. “Of course, our society has to choose… because it’s their land, the land, not of one person. It’s the land of our nation for a lot of generations.”
Aside from territorial questions, Zelenskyy said the leaders had discussed “all aspects” of the 20-point plan. While overall agreement stands at around 90%, he said the US and Ukraine are fully aligned on security guarantees and military issues.
“We agree that security guarantees is a key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” he said.
