Trump says Ukraine peace deal ‘closer than ever’, but territorial dispute not resolved

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal was closer than ever to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but he reported no apparent progress on the territory after fresh talks with the leaders of the warring nations.

Trump, who had promised a peace deal on the first day of his nearly year-long presidency, said it would be clear within weeks whether it was possible to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people since February 2022.

In a diplomatic sprint before the New Year, Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Florida, where the two met with top aides over lunch, a day after Russia launched major attacks on residential areas of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

As when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke by phone earlier with the US leader, who insisted Moscow was “serious” about peace despite the attack.

“I really think we are, Mr. President, probably closer, much closer than we’ve ever been with both parties,” Trump said with Zelensky at his side in the tea room of his Mar-a-Lago estate. “Everybody wants it to end,” Trump said.

Reading: Zelensky meets Trump in Florida for talks on Ukraine peace plan

After their talks, Zelensky and Trump spoke jointly by phone with key European leaders, who have been particularly concerned about any decisions that would embolden Russia. Zelensky said he and European leaders could return together for talks with Trump in Washington in January.

The Ukrainian president remained cautiously polite throughout his visit, mindful of his disastrous meeting at the White House on February 28, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated him for not being grateful enough.

Territorial impasse

Trump, for all his professed optimism, gave few details on the progress he reported, instead deviating from familiar complaints about his predecessor Joe Biden, who allocated billions of dollars to the defense of Ukraine. He also spoke about his own friendly relationship with Putin.

Trump acknowledged the ongoing dispute between Kiev and Moscow on the ground. The current plan, revised after weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, would end the war on the current fronts in the eastern Donbass region and create a demilitarized zone, while Russia has long demanded territorial concessions.

“It’s not resolved, but it’s very close. This is a very difficult issue, but I think it will be resolved,” Trump said. He offered to address the Ukrainian parliament to advance the plan – an idea, however unlikely, that Zelensky was quick to welcome.

The Ukrainian leader expressed openness to the revised US plan, marking the most explicit acknowledgment yet from Kiev of possible territorial concessions, although Ukrainian voters will have to approve it in a referendum.

By contrast, Russia has shown no signs of compromising, seeing hope in the sharp gains it has made over the past four years against Ukraine’s tough defenses. The Kremlin, in its reading of the talks between Putin and Trump, called on Kiev to take a “brave decision” and immediately withdraw its troops from the Donbass, seeing European leaders as an obstacle to peace.

Read more: Ukraine retreats to the east

“Russia and the United States share the same position, which is that the Ukrainian and European proposal for a temporary ceasefire will only prolong the conflict and lead to a resumption of hostilities,” Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yury Usakov told reporters.

“90%” was agreed by Ukraine

Trump advisers have previously floated the idea of ​​offering NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, meaning, in theory, that alliance members would respond militarily if Russia strikes again.

Zelensky said Trump’s peace framework was “90% agreed” and that “US-Ukraine security guarantees: 100% agreed.” He said the two sides were still finalizing a “prosperity plan” for Ukraine as well as the sequence of various actions.

Russia had categorically rejected any entry of the former Soviet republic into NATO. In its latest drone and missile attack, it knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of residents amid freezing temperatures.

“If the authorities in Kiev do not want to settle this case peacefully, we will solve all the problems in front of us by military means,” Putin said on Saturday.