U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were moving closer to a breakthrough following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida, even as Kyiv continued to press for long-term security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression.
Speaking on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Trump described his discussion with Zelenskyy as “excellent” and said it “made a lot of progress” toward resolving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He later cautioned, however, that while momentum was building, a final agreement had not yet been reached.
Zelenskyy, speaking separately to reporters via WhatsApp as he traveled back to Europe on Monday, said security assurances remained a central concern.
He disclosed that a U.S. security guarantee currently under discussion would last 15 years, a timeframe he argued was insufficient.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were moving closer to a breakthrough following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida, even as Kyiv continued to press for long-term security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression.
Speaking on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Trump described his discussion with Zelenskyy as “excellent” and said it “made a lot of progress” toward resolving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He later cautioned, however, that while momentum was building, a final agreement had not yet been reached.
Zelenskyy, speaking separately to reporters via WhatsApp as he traveled back to Europe on Monday, said security assurances remained a central concern.
He disclosed that a U.S. security guarantee currently under discussion would last 15 years, a timeframe he argued was insufficient.
“I told [Trump] we would really like to consider the possibility of a 30, 40, 50 years [guarantee],” Zelenskyy said, adding that Trump “said he would think about it”.
The meeting followed a major Russian missile and drone assault on Kyiv and capped a period of intense diplomatic activity focused on ending the largest land war in Europe in eight decades.
While both leaders publicly praised the talks afterward, concrete outcomes remained limited.
Zelenskyy said discussions covered “all aspects” of a 20-point peace proposal and that the two sides were “90 per cent” toward an agreement.
He added that the military components of the plan were “100 per cent agreed”, though no operational details were disclosed.
Trump said both leaders later briefed European counterparts, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed what she described as “good progress” in the talks, emphasizing that “paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one”.
Ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said he held a “good and very productive” phone call lasting more than two hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Afterward, Trump said Putin “wants to see Ukraine succeed,” while acknowledging that significant disagreements remained. “The word agreed is too strong, but we are getting closer,” Trump said, describing unresolved issues as “thorny”.
Among the most contentious points are territorial questions. Trump cited disputes over “land,” reflecting the divide between Moscow and Kyiv on potential concessions.
Russia continues to insist on maximalist terms, including Ukraine’s withdrawal from the remaining portions of the eastern Donbas region still under Kyiv’s control.
An earlier U.S. proposal — developed with Russian input — called for that territory to be formally recognized as Russian, a position Zelenskyy has repeatedly described as unacceptable.
Trump said discussions around a possible “demilitarised zone”, or “economic zone” as Zelenskyy has termed it, in Donbas remained “unresolved”.
Zelenskyy said he would consider withdrawing Ukrainian troops to create such a zone only if Russian forces did the same, the territory remained part of Ukraine, and international peacekeepers were deployed.
He described the issue as a “tough issue” and said any territorial concession would require a national referendum.
“Of course, our society has to choose and it has to vote, because it’s their land, not the land of one person, it’s the land of our nation,” he said.
When asked what security guarantees the U.S. had offered Ukraine, Trump said he wanted to “work with Europe,” which would “take over a big part of it”.
Trump also said Putin was open to cooperation on the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s largest, which is currently under Russian control.
“We discussed it, it’s in good shape and can start up immediately. Putin is working with Ukraine to get it open,” Trump said. “That’s a big step, when he’s not bombing that plant.”
According to two people briefed on the matter, Zelenskyy told European leaders during a call on Saturday that he did not expect Russia to abandon its hardline demands or accept Ukraine’s proposed revisions, and urged Washington to focus pressure on Moscow.
Russia has previously said it would reject amendments to Trump’s earlier 28-point plan, which was drafted in the autumn with substantial input from Moscow.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a call between Putin and Trump would take place “very soon,” without providing details.
He added that Moscow was awaiting further information from Washington before assessing the latest Ukraine-U.S. talks, according to the Tass state news agency.
THE THIRD FORCE
Reference: Financial Times
