Florida: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks with United States President Donald Trump in Florida as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to find a path toward ending the war in Ukraine. Both leaders described the meeting as serious and constructive while underlining that difficult decisions still lie ahead.
Speaking after the meeting Trump said the United States and Ukraine were closer to a peace agreement than at any earlier stage of negotiations. He noted that while progress had been made on several key issues there was still work to be done before any final deal could be announced. Trump said the situation would become clearer in the coming weeks as talks continue.
Zelenskiy said the discussions focused strongly on long term security guarantees for Ukraine. He said there was broad agreement on the need to ensure Ukraine’s safety after the war and to prevent future aggression. According to Ukrainian officials most parts of a twenty point peace framework being discussed with Washington are now close to agreement.
However territorial issues remain the most sensitive and unresolved part of the talks. The status of eastern Ukrainian regions currently under Russian control continues to divide the sides. Zelenskiy has repeatedly said Ukraine cannot accept the permanent loss of its territory while Trump acknowledged that territorial questions would require further negotiations and possible international mediation.
Trump also confirmed that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin before meeting Zelenskiy. He described that conversation as positive and said it was part of efforts to keep diplomatic channels open with all parties involved. There has been no detailed response from Moscow on the Florida discussions so far.
Despite the renewed diplomatic push the fighting in Ukraine has not stopped. Russian attacks and Ukrainian defensive operations have continued even as talks were taking place. Officials on both sides stressed that the current discussions do not yet include a formal ceasefire and that any pause in fighting would depend on further political agreements.
Diplomatic sources said the United States and Ukraine plan to continue consultations with European partners in the coming weeks. Meetings involving key European countries are expected in early January to discuss security guarantees and the international role in supporting any future settlement.
While no breakthrough was announced both leaders said the Florida meeting was an important step forward. They said continued dialogue offers a chance to reduce suffering and move closer to an end to the conflict that has affected millions of people in Ukraine and beyond.