The latest talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held at the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, began with high hopes but ended without serious and tangible progress. The meeting, held in Palm Beach on Sunday, December 28th, lasted more than two and a half hours and marked the fourth meeting between the two leaders since the beginning of the year.
At the end of the meeting, in response to a question about when the peace agreement could be signed, Donald Trump chose a cautious position. At the joint press conference, he emphasized that the development of the process depends on several scenarios and did not rule out the possibility that in the best case, the agreement could be concluded within a few weeks, otherwise this process could be prolonged or be completely ineffective.
The American president assessed the war in Ukraine as the bloodiest and largest military conflict since the end of World War II. According to him, it is this factor that demands prompt and balanced decisions from the international community.
Zelenskyy, however, expressed a rather optimistic view of the negotiations. He expressed confidence that an agreement has been reached on approximately 90% of the 20-point peace plan, and that the US-Ukraine security guarantees have been fully, that is, 100%, coordinated. The Ukrainian leader also noted that the US-Europe-Ukraine security system has been practically formed.
Trump stated that the main burden of ensuring Ukraine's security falls on European countries. At the same time, the US also stated that it would not stay away from helping Kyiv in this matter.
Zelenskyy said that the expert and working groups of the two countries will meet again in the coming weeks to finally resolve the disputed issues. He also stated that European leaders and a Ukrainian delegation could visit Washington in January.
At the same time, the parties have not yet reached a full agreement on the status of the Donbas territories. Although Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia are somewhat closer in this regard, the issue remains extremely complex. In his opinion, the solution has not yet been found, but it has been approached.
Zelenskyy also did not rule out the possibility of holding a referendum on certain points of the peace plan proposed by Trump. This indicates that the decision-making process relies on the opinion of a wider public.
The issue of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was also at the center of the negotiations. According to Trump, he had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on this topic. Putin, according to Trump, said that work is underway to launch the station in coordination with Ukraine. The US President also claimed that the Russian side is not targeting the nuclear power plant with missiles. Zelenskyy refrained from commenting on this matter.
Trump also stated that Moscow intends to contribute to the restoration of Ukraine. He emphasized that Russia wants to see Ukraine as a stable and successful country and is ready to supply electricity at very low prices.
It is known that before the negotiations, the presidents of the USA and Ukraine held a joint telephone conversation with the leaders of Europe. Trump also spoke by phone with Putin before the meeting with Zelenskyy. According to Russian presidential aide Yuriy Ushakov, the call was initiated by Trump and lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Ushakov noted that Putin emphasized the importance of continuing work based on previously reached agreements and supported the proposal to continue peace negotiations through special working groups. Specific parameters of the activities of these groups are expected to be announced at the beginning of January.
In conclusion, the meeting in Mar-a-Lago further clarified the path to peace, but the decisive point has not yet been reached. The process is complex, and the positions of the parties are still cautious - therefore, there are still long and compromise negotiations ahead.
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