Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a planned meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida this weekend. The discussions are expected to focus on efforts to conclude the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Upcoming Talks and Objectives
Zelensky indicated the meeting is scheduled for Sunday. Key agenda items include a U.S.-brokered 20-point peace plan and proposals for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine.
On Friday, Zelensky confirmed that he had received an update on recent technical discussions from his lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov. He subsequently posted on social media, stating, "We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year."
Ongoing Diplomatic Engagements
Confirmation of the high-level meeting followed a Christmas Day phone call between Zelensky and Trump's negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Zelensky characterized this one-hour conversation as generating "new ideas" for ending the conflict.
The Kremlin has also reported that President Vladimir Putin's senior aide has engaged in further phone discussions with U.S. officials. Russia has affirmed its commitment to continuing negotiations and described "slow but steady progress." However, Russia has not publicly addressed Zelensky's offer for a mutual troop withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region.
Key Proposals and Challenges
Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from the U.S. as part of any potential agreement. Zelensky has previously suggested a demilitarized "free economic zone" as an option for certain areas of Donbas.
Wednesday, Zelensky signaled a proposal wherein Ukraine would withdraw troops up to 40km (25 miles) from the eastern front line to establish an economic zone, contingent on a similar withdrawal by Russia from Russian-occupied parts of Donbas.
Ukraine has secured modifications to an earlier 28-point draft plan, which was initially developed by Steve Witkoff. Zelensky informed reporters on Friday that the Florida talks would address multiple documents, including U.S. security guarantees and a distinct economic agreement.
Persistent challenges in negotiations, as noted by Zelensky, include resolving territorial disputes and determining the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The White House has proposed that Ukraine and Russia divide the energy output from the plant, which is currently under Russian control and is Europe's largest nuclear facility.