On December 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump. The talks took place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
After the meeting concluded, the two leaders held phone calls with European counterparts to brief them on the substance of the discussions and the next steps.
Speaking after the talks, Donald Trump said that on the issue of Donbas “positions need to be aligned, but it seems to me that things are moving in the right direction.” He described the meeting as “very good” and noted that the sides are “moving closer” to a possible deal, while stressing that it would still be premature, in his words, to say they had “reached an agreement.” Trump also said he intends to continue talks with Zelensky in the coming weeks.
Responding to a question about a possible demilitarized zone in Donbas, Volodymyr Zelensky said that “our teams have grown closer.” At the same time, he stressed that any decisions must comply with Ukraine’s Constitution. In his words, “a referendum may be one of the keys to this lock.”
In addition, Donald Trump said he had offered to address Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada. He said he would like to “strike a deal without coming” to Ukraine, but added that he was prepared to do so “if it helps save 25,000 lives a month.” In response, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “You are invited.”
Asked what specific security guarantees the United States is offering Ukraine, Trump said he intends to “work with Europe,” which, he said, “will take on a significant share” of these commitments. He did not specify which security guarantees are under discussion. “We will support Europe 100 percent—just as they would support us,” the US president said.
Trump also said that Vladimir Putin had not agreed to a ceasefire during their phone call. According to the US president, the Russian leader fears a scenario in which fighting is halted only to resume later. “He believes that if they are fighting, then stop, and later have to start again, he does not want to be in that position,” Trump said.
At the same time, Trump expressed hope that it would be possible to “find ways around this” obstacle. “I think we are finding ways to get around it… you have to understand the other side,” he added.
In closing the press conference, Trump repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin in public, insisting that Russia’s president wants to see Ukraine “succeed” and is ready to take part in rebuilding the country after the war. According to Trump, Putin had expressed a willingness to help Ukraine, including by “supplying electricity and other resources at very low prices.”
“President Putin was very generous in his attitude toward Ukraine being successful,” Trump said.
Trump also emphasized the personal nature of his relationship with Putin, recalling that they had gone through the so-called “Russia, Russia, Russia” affair together during his first presidential term—referring to investigations into alleged ties between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. At the same time, he acknowledged that no agreement on a ceasefire between the sides has yet been reached.