Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Ukraine peace plan
- Last updated: December 28, 2025 | 19:58 ..
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump will meet in Florida on Sunday to forge a plan to end the war in Ukraine, but face differences over major issues including territory as Russian air raids pile pressure on Kyiv.
Russia hit the capital and other parts of war-torn Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, knocking out power and heat in parts of the capital. Zelensky called it Russia's response to the US-brokered peace efforts.
Zelensky has told journalists that he plans to discuss the fate of eastern Ukraine's contested Donbas region during the meeting at Trump's Florida residence, as well as the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and other topics.
The Ukrainian president and his delegation arrived in Florida late on Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya said on X.
"Good evening, Florida!” Kyslytsya wrote, accompanying the post with a photo of an aircraft bearing the U.S. president’s surname on the fuselage.
RUSSIA CLAIMS MORE BATTLEFIELD ADVANCES
Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine yield all of the Donbas, even areas still under Kyiv's control, and Russian officials have objected to other parts of the latest proposal, sparking doubts about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept whatever Sunday's talks might produce.
Putin said on Saturday that Moscow would continue waging its war if Kyiv did not seek a quick peace. Russia has steadily advanced on the battlefield in recent weeks and months, claiming control over several more settlements on Sunday.
The Ukrainian president told Axios on Friday he still hopes to soften a U.S. proposal for Ukrainian forces to withdraw completely from the Donbas. Failing that, Zelenskiy said the entire 20-point plan, the result of weeks of negotiations, should be put to a referendum vote.
Axios said US officials viewed Zelensky's willingness to hold a referendum as a major step forward and a sign that he was no longer ruling out territorial concessions, although he said Russia would need to agree to a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold such a vote.
A recent poll suggests that Ukrainian voters may also reject the plan.
Kyiv residents interviewed by Reuters on Sunday expressed a mix of hope and skepticism over the talks.
"I want for this to be over - but this is what our side wishes for," said Stanyslav, a 44-year-old soldier who declined to provide his last name. "We don't have any leverage in this situation."
Zelensky's in-person meeting with Trump, scheduled for 1pm (1800 GMT), follows weeks of diplomatic efforts.
European allies, while at times cut out of the loop, have stepped up efforts to sketch out the contours of a post-war security guarantee for Kyiv that would be supported by the United States.
Writing on X ahead of talks, Zelensky said that "a lot can be decided before the New Year" but that peace depended on strong support from Kyiv's partners.
Reuters