live Welcoming Zelenskyy, Trump says talks to end war in Ukraine are in 'final stages'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war as being “in the final stages.”

Speaking to reporters before heading into the meeting, Trump framed the Florida talks as approaching a conclusion. “We’re in the final stages of talking,” he said. “It’ll either end or it’s going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed.”

Trump said both leaders want to reach a deal and that he planned to call Russian President Vladimir Putin again after meeting Zelenskyy to continue negotiations. He also highlighted the planned security agreement, noting it would be “strong” and involve European nations in protection arrangements. “The European nations have been really great. They’re very much in line with this meeting and getting a deal done. They are all terrific people,” he said.

The U.S. president spoke of potential economic benefits for Ukraine, citing opportunities for rebuilding and wealth creation. “There are great economic benefits for Ukraine, also, because there’s a lot of rebuilding to do, and they have great wealth potentially, they have great wealth. They want to get started,” Trump said.

Zelenskyy, arriving in the U.S. after a visit to Canada, told reporters that past talks at the delegate level had advanced negotiations between Kyiv and Washington. “Our teams, they do what they can and I think that during last month they moved forward with negotiations and worked very well. They worked on different documents. And I hope that all these documents can bring peace as quick as possible,” he said, adding that the 20-point peace plan would be central to discussions.

Trump and Zelenskyy later held a closed-door lunch at Mar-a-Lago. U.S. officials accompanying Trump included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Jared Kushner, and peace envoy Steve Witkoff. Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov was part of Zelenskyy’s delegation.

The meeting comes amid continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine. Over the weekend, Moscow launched hundreds of missiles and drones, disrupting electricity and heating in parts of Kyiv. Zelenskyy said the strikes were Moscow’s response to ongoing diplomatic efforts and that he would press Trump on unresolved issues, including the future of the Donbas region and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.

Ahead of the talks, Trump had a “good and very productive” phone call with Putin, describing the Russian president as “very serious about peace” in a post on Truth Social. Trump said the conversation confirmed that both Zelenskyy and Putin want to reach a deal and indicated any further talks with Putin would “depend” on progress.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the Trump-Putin call lasted about one hour and 15 minutes, had a “friendly tone,” and included Christmas greetings. He added that both leaders agreed Ukraine needs to make a prompt and “bold” decision on the Donbas region, warning that delays could hinder a settlement. Ushakov said Trump listened carefully to Russia’s assessment and that the two leaders agreed to speak again after the Zelenskyy meeting.

A draft 20-point peace plan, negotiated by U.S. and Ukrainian officials, is under review by the Kremlin, although Moscow has shown no signs of softening its territorial demands. Zelenskyy previously indicated he might withdraw Ukrainian troops from the eastern industrial heartland if Russia agrees to a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.

The Florida talks follow weeks of diplomacy with European allies, who are helping shape post-war security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. backing. Zelenskyy spoke earlier on Sunday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and was expected to take part in a joint call with European leaders during his visit.

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