Still 90 Percent: Trump and Zelensky Say Peace Talks Near Final Stage

On December 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump held closed-door talks at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence in Florida. The meeting lasted more than two hours.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by The White House from Washington, DC, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Marine One at Mar-a-Lago (33638029748)

On the US side, the talks were attended by:

• Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law;
• special envoy Steve Witkoff;
• White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles and her deputy Stephen Miller;
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth;
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine;
• Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Procurement Service, who, according to CNN, had taken part in talks with Russia the previous week.

Ukraine was represented by:

• President Volodymyr Zelensky;
• Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov;
• Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov;
• Economy Minister Andriy Sobolev;
• First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia;
• presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz.

How the US and Ukrainian Presidents Assessed the Talks

At the start of the meeting, Trump and Zelensky made a joint statement to the press on the steps of Mar-a-Lago. Trump said he saw serious commitment from both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that peace negotiations had entered their final stage.

Trump said he was not setting rigid deadlines for a deal, noting that his "own deadline is ending the conflict.” He also confirmed plans to conclude a "strong” agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine involving the United States and Europe.

"This peace settlement will also bring major economic benefits to Ukraine. There is a great deal to rebuild, and a great deal to earn,” Trump said. He expressed cautious optimism on the eve of the talks, suggesting the draft agreement could be finalized in Florida.

"A lot could be decided before the New Year, and we are doing everything for that, but whether decisions are made depends on the partners,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram ahead of the meeting.

Zelensky said he intended to discuss five key issues with Trump: US security guarantees for Kyiv; European security guarantees; a military dimension; a plan for Ukraine's reconstruction; and a roadmap for sequential actions.

Answering journalists' questions before the talks, Zelensky confirmed that territorial issues would also be discussed. According to him, 90 percent of the revised 20-point peace plan drafted by US and Ukrainian negotiators had already been completed.

Press Conference After the Meeting

Following the talks, Trump and Zelensky held a joint press conference. Trump described the meeting as "excellent” and said the sides had moved significantly closer to ending the conflict.

He noted that "almost all topics” had been covered, but that "one or two very difficult, painful issues” remained, primarily the question of territory.

Zelensky assessed the progress in percentage terms: the 20-point plan was 90 percent agreed; security guarantees between Ukraine and the US were 100 percent agreed; security guarantees between Ukraine, the US, and Europe were nearly 100 percent agreed; the military component was 100 percent agreed; and work on the Ukraine prosperity plan was nearing completion.

According to Zelensky, Trump may host Ukrainian and European delegations in Washington in January.

Commenting on the idea of creating a free economic zone in Donbas, Trump said it was too early to say an agreement had been reached. "The word "agreed' is too strong. I would say we have not agreed, but we are approaching an agreement,” he explained.

Trump said Russia was seeking control over all of Donbas, a position Ukraine does not accept, but added that the sides were moving "in the right direction.” He reiterated that Europe should play the leading role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, with Washington offering "100-percent” support.

Trump also touched on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, saying work on restarting the facility could begin in the near future.

Working Groups and Russia's Role

During the press conference, the presidents also disclosed the composition of their working groups. From the US side, they include Witkoff, Kushner, Caine, Rubio, and possibly several others, including Hegseth. From Ukraine, the group includes Umerov, Hnatov, and Kyslytsia.

Trump stressed that work limited to the US and Ukraine "does not solve the problem,” adding that Ukraine's working group would need to establish interaction with Russia as well.

"Russia wants Ukraine to succeed. That may sound a bit strange, but I explained to President Zelensky that President Putin is very generous toward Ukraine's success, including the idea of supplying electricity and other goods at very low prices,” Trump said.

He added that he understood Russia's reluctance to agree to a temporary ceasefire out of concern that hostilities could resume without a final settlement.

This marked Zelensky's fourth visit to the US during Trump's second presidential term. His previous visits took place in February, August, and October. During his last visit on October 18, Zelensky sought US deliveries of Tomahawk missiles, but Trump said the weapons were needed by the United States itself.

Several days later, Russian and US presidential envoys Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, met in Miami and, according to Axios, began working on a 28-point settlement plan. Since then, the US, Russia, Ukraine, and European countries have discussed peace proposals in various formats.