Zelensky To Meet Trump At Mar-a-Lago To Discuss Peace Plan, Ending Russia’s Invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Friday that he will meet President Donald Trump this weekend at Mar-a-Lago to discuss next steps in a potential peace deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I think we’ll meet with President Trump on Sunday in Florida,” Zelensky told reporters, echoing an earlier post on X where he referred to a “meeting at the highest level” and hinted that “a lot can be decided before the New Year.”
While the Trump White House has yet to officially confirm the exact timing, the planned sitdown was first reported by Axios, citing a senior Ukrainian official. The meeting follows what Zelensky described as a “very good conversation” with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
“I thank [Witkoff and Kushner] for the constructive approach, the intensive work, and the kind words and Christmas greetings to the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky wrote. “We are truly working 24/7 to bring closer the end of this brutal Russian war against Ukraine.”
Trump’s diplomatic push has accelerated in recent weeks as his administration seeks to finalize a 20-point peace proposal. Zelensky, in a major shift, indicated Tuesday he would accept the creation of an internationally monitored, demilitarized “free economic zone” in the eastern Donbas region if it meant a halt to Russia’s aggression.
The Kremlin has so far refused to retreat from land it has seized, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova admitting there had been “slow but steady progress,” but no breakthrough. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine relinquish remaining territory in Donbas — a red line Kyiv refuses to cross.
Zelensky’s proposed deal avoids formally recognizing Russian sovereignty over occupied land. Instead, he would put the plan to a nationwide vote. His 20-point framework includes a full ceasefire, rapid elections in Ukraine, an international response plan if Russia resumes hostilities, a peacetime military cap of 800,000 troops, guaranteed EU membership for Ukraine, and parallel U.S. trade agreements with both Ukraine and Russia.
“I can’t say right now if anything will be finalized,” Zelensky said Friday. “This meeting is to work out issues as much as possible. All issues where we have questions or disagreements, we will definitely raise them.”
On the battlefield, Ukraine notched a major victory this week by pushing Russian forces out of Kupyansk, a strategic logistics hub that Moscow had claimed to control just days earlier. Pro-Russian military bloggers accused their own commanders of exaggerating the Kremlin’s hold on the city.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War assessed that Russia lacks the resources to conquer the rest of Donetsk while also maintaining offensives in other regions. It warned the Kremlin may be pushing unrealistic demands in order to pause the war and regroup for a future offensive aimed at occupying more of Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Russian drone attacks hit Ukraine’s southern port city of Mykolaiv overnight, cutting power to parts of the city. In response, Ukraine struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region with British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Kyiv said the attack targeted Russia’s energy revenue, a key driver of its war machine.
“The Kremlin is trying to freeze us out and starve us of power,” said one Ukrainian official. “We will respond by hitting the source.”