NEWS

Trump and Zelenskyy Meet at Mar-a-Lago as Peace Talks on Ukraine Conflict Advance

Staff December 28, 2025

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at Mar-a-Lago in Florida amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Separate meetings with Russian envoys and European officials are also underway as the leaders aim for progress before the New Year.

Featured image for: Trump meets with Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago as peace talks advance U.S. officials met separately with Russian envoys and Ukrainian and European officials in Florida for ongoing peace talks ahead of the Christmas holiday. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are meeting in Florida as both leaders look to make progress on a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. The two leaders spoke to reporters upon Zelenskyy’s arrival at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, with Trump saying, “I do believe that we have the makings of a deal.” The U.S. president also said, “We’re going to get it done. We’re going to have a great meeting today.” “These are currently some of the most active diplomatic days of the year, and much can be decided before the New Year,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on Telegram Sunday. “Whether decisions will be made depends on our partners — on those who help Ukraine and on those who put pressure on Russia so that the Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression,” he added. The meeting comes just over a day after Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, killing at least one person and injuring at least 20, according to Kyiv’s mayor. On Saturday, Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the Russian attack involved almost 500 drones and 40 missiles aimed at Kyiv. Following a Saturday meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on his way to Florida, Zelenskyy said that “sufficient pressure” should be placed on Russia following this weekend’s attacks. “Russia continues to mock our cities and people. Moscow has rejected even the proposals for a Christmas ceasefire and is increasing the ferocity of its missile and drone strikes. This is a clear signal of how they really feel about diplomacy,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “So far, it has not been taken seriously enough. Therefore, Ukraine needs sufficient support. And sufficient pressure needs to be put on Russia.” Hours before his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he’d spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday morning in what he characterized as a “good and very productive telephone call.” Speaking to reporters on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago, the U.S. president said his message to Putin was that the two sides “gotta make a deal. Gotta get it done. Too many people died, and I think both presidents want to make a deal.” He added that he plans to speak with Putin again after the meeting with Zelenskyy. Speaking to reporters after the call between the two presidents, Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, said that the call had been initiated by Trump and lasted for over an hour. Ushakov added that the two presidents spoke about a potential ceasefire, agreeing that a temporary ceasefire “will only prolong the conflict and risk a resumption of hostilities.” In a WhatsApp chat with journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy outlined his agenda for the meeting, which he said would include discussing security guarantees he hopes the U.S. can promise to Ukraine to dissuade Russia from ever invading again. “We want to discuss several nuances regarding security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said, adding that there are already “several” drafted agreements for security guarantees in place between Ukraine, the U.S. and European allies. “We still need to discuss them again. And, as I said, changes are being made daily to all these documents by our negotiating teams,” the Ukrainian president added. On Saturday, Zelenskyy told reporters in a new WhatsApp chat that any negotiations on security guarantees depend on Trump’s buy-in. “This primarily depends on President Trump. The question is what security guarantees President Trump is ready to provide to Ukraine,” he said. On Sunday, while greeting Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, Trump told reporters, “There will be a security agreement.”

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday in an effort to advance peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine. The high-profile meeting marks a pivotal moment in a series of diplomatic engagements occurring just days before the Christmas holiday.

Upon Zelenskyy's arrival at Mar-a-Lago, both leaders addressed reporters. President Trump expressed optimism about the potential for a deal, stating, “I do believe that we have the makings of a deal.” He added, “We’re going to get it done. We’re going to have a great meeting today.”

President Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency and significance of the current diplomatic efforts in a Telegram post on Sunday, noting, “These are currently some of the most active diplomatic days of the year, and much can be decided before the New Year. Whether decisions will be made depends on our partners — on those who help Ukraine and on those who put pressure on Russia so that the Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression.”

The meeting comes shortly after a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. According to Kyiv’s mayor, the assault killed at least one person and injured at least 20 others. On Saturday, Zelenskyy reported on the social media platform X that the attack involved nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles targeting the city.

Following a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney en route to Florida, Zelenskyy underscored the need for heightened pressure on Russia. He wrote on Telegram, “Russia continues to mock our cities and people. Moscow has rejected even the proposals for a Christmas ceasefire and is increasing the ferocity of its missile and drone strikes. This is a clear signal of how they really feel about diplomacy. So far, it has not been taken seriously enough. Therefore, Ukraine needs sufficient support. And sufficient pressure needs to be put on Russia.”

Hours before meeting with Zelenskyy, President Trump disclosed in a post on Truth Social that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Sunday morning. Trump described the call as “good and very productive.” Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said his message to Putin was clear: “We gotta make a deal. Gotta get it done. Too many people died, and I think both presidents want to make a deal.” He also indicated plans for a follow-up conversation with Putin after meeting with Zelenskyy.

Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed the call between the two leaders lasted over an hour and was initiated by Trump. Ushakov told reporters that the discussion included the possibility of a ceasefire, with both presidents agreeing that a temporary ceasefire “will only prolong the conflict and risk a resumption of hostilities.”

In the days leading up to the meeting, Zelenskyy outlined his agenda for discussions with Trump. In a WhatsApp chat with journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy stated he intended to discuss security guarantees that the U.S. could provide to Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression. He noted that several draft agreements regarding security guarantees are already in place between Ukraine, the United States, and European allies but are subject to ongoing revisions by negotiating teams.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that the success of negotiations on security guarantees largely depends on Trump’s commitment. “This primarily depends on President Trump. The question is what security guarantees President Trump is ready to provide to Ukraine,” he said.

During the welcoming remarks at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Trump indicated that a security agreement would be part of the discussions, stating simply, “There will be a security agreement.”

The meetings in Florida coincide with separate talks involving U.S. officials, Russian envoys, and representatives from Ukraine and European countries, all working toward a diplomatic resolution before the end of 2023. The war in Ukraine, ongoing since 2022, has resulted in significant casualties and geopolitical tension, making these discussions critical in shaping the near-term future of the region.

As the diplomatic efforts intensify, the international community continues to watch closely, hopeful that the dialogue between Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin, and their respective teams will yield a sustainable path to peace.