Zelensky and Trump to meet in Florida after weeks of intensified peace talks

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Florida on Sunday as his capital, Kyiv, continued to face assaults from Russian missiles and drones, a stark reminder that attacks would persist even amid accelerated peace negotiations.

The 1 p.m. ET meeting at Mar-a-Lago between Zelensky and President Donald Trump, announced just two days in advance, aims to resolve outstanding issues in the original 28-point peace plan proposed by Trump last month, which Ukraine has since revised to 20 points. U.S. envoys have been working intensively to finalize a proposal acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia.

Trump, who has been in Palm Beach since December 20, will interrupt his holiday break for the meeting. The session was arranged following an hourlong phone call last week between Zelensky and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s foreign envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law involved in finalizing the peace agreement.

Earlier this month, Trump said he did not see value in meetings with Zelensky or European allies unless a deal was close, signaling the advanced stage of negotiations. U.S. officials have reported significant progress, with one noting that 90% of the terms have been settled—a figure Zelensky confirmed Friday.

“It isn’t easy. No one is saying that it will be 100% right away, but nevertheless, we must bring the desired result closer with every such meeting, every such conversation,” Zelensky said.

The remaining 10% remain contentious, including land concessions needed to end the nearly four-year war. Russia has maintained its maximalist demands, including control of the entire eastern Donbas region.

Zelensky, however, has not ruled out concessions entirely and said any peace plan would go to a referendum if Russia agrees to a ceasefire, as Ukraine’s constitution requires voter approval for border changes.

U.S. officials have offered “thought-provoking” ideas to break the deadlock, including creating an “economic free zone” in eastern Ukraine.

Another unresolved issue is the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest. Zelensky proposed it be operated as a joint enterprise between the U.S. and Ukraine, with 50% of the electricity going to Ukraine and the remainder allocated by the U.S.

Russia will not attend Sunday’s meeting, and it remains uncertain whether Moscow is willing to agree to an immediate ceasefire. Trump has often identified both Ukraine and Russia as obstacles to peace.

A day before the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated:

“If Kyiv is not willing to resolve the matter peacefully, Russia will accomplish all the aims of the special military operation by military means,” according to Russian state media TASS.

Overnight from Friday to Saturday, Russia launched 519 drones and 40 missiles at Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Zelensky noted that while Russian officials are engaged in peace talks, ongoing attacks speak for themselves.

U.S. officials are hopeful Sunday’s meeting will be productive after a week of intensive efforts between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, though no specific outcome has been cited. Zelensky said he aims to finalize a framework to end the conflict, including detailed security guarantees from the U.S. to prevent further Russian aggression post-war.

Security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 were developed over two days of talks in Berlin with European, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials. They would provide deterrence, deconfliction mechanisms, and monitoring for a future peace deal, outlining consequences for Russia in case of violations.

“This is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen. It is a very, very strong package,” a senior U.S. official said, without detailing the commitments. Trump is reportedly prepared to present the U.S.-backed security guarantees to Congress, described as the “platinum standard” for Washington’s support.

Trump believes Moscow can accept the guarantees. Officials also indicated Russia has shown openness to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a peace agreement.

Unlike previous meetings, no European leaders are expected to attend Sunday’s session. In August, European leaders rushed to the White House to accompany Zelensky after a February Oval Office session with Trump had turned tense.

Speaking to Politico on Friday, Trump said he expects the meeting to “go good,” but cautioned that Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it.”

Ukraine has been pushing for the meeting since October. European officials view the dynamic between the U.S. and Ukraine as productive, but acknowledge the outcome of any meeting with Trump is unpredictable.

“There is no low-risk scenario with Trump,” a NATO official said.