Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate this Sunday, as the two leaders attempt to finalise a peace framework that could end the nearly four-year war with Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Friday (26 December) that he’ll travel to Florida for a “highest-level” meeting with US President Donald Trump on December 28. The announcement comes after weeks of intense shuttle diplomacy led by Trump’s envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who’ve been brokering a 20-point peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that the framework is now “90% ready,” but warned that critical issues, specifically long-term security guarantees and territorial sovereignty, remain the final unresolved hurdles.
The summit follows a flurry of year-end diplomatic activity. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy revealed Ukraine and the US had reached consensus on several key points, including the potential creation of a “free economic zone” and a demilitarized area in the country’s eastern industrial heartland. However, Ukraine continues to demand security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5, a term Moscow has historically rejected.
Key items on the agenda for Sunday include:
- The 20-Point Plan: A refined version of an earlier 28-point proposal that seeks to establish a timeline for stopping the fighting.
- Security Guarantees: Defining what “real security” looks like for Ukraine without immediate NATO membership.
- Economic Agreements: Plans for the “real recovery” and reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure.
- Territorial Specifics: Detailed discussions on the status of the Donbas region and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year,” Zelenskyy posted on X, following a briefing from his top negotiator, Rustem Umerov.
President Trump, however, kept his characteristic blunt tone ahead of the talks. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico on Friday, adding that while he’s optimistic, the final outcome is still subject to his personal approval. “So we’ll see what he’s got. I think it’s going to go good with him.”
The Florida meeting is the most significant direct engagement between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House. While the Kremlin has expressed interest in the “slow but steady progress” of the peace talks, it’s simultaneously increased pressure on the ground, striking Ukraine’s power grid to “weaponize winter.” The release of declassified records this week showing Vladimir Putin has viewed Ukraine as an “artificial state” for over two decades has added historical weight to the current negotiations.
If the Sunday summit goes well, a formal peace framework could be signed before 2026 starts. However, any deal involving territorial concessions or troop withdrawals may require a national referendum in Ukraine, a move Zelenskyy suggested he’d consider to ensure democratic legitimacy for a final settlement.
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