‘He doesn’t have anything until I approve it’: Trump’s tough tone on Zelenskyy’s peace plan ahead of talks

Zelenskyy said he plans to meet Trump in Florida as part of efforts to push forward a peace plan aimed at ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine

• Trump says any Ukraine peace deal needs his approval
• Zelenskyy to present a 20-point peace plan to Trump in Florida
• Talks will focus on US security guarantees and Ukraine's post-war stability

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Ahead of the talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump projected himself as the ultimate authority on any peace deal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump in Florida on Sunday and told reporters he will present a new 20-point peace plan. The proposal includes a demilitarised zone, with talks likely to centre on US security guarantees, Politico reported.

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico in an interview published on Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

Earlier on Friday, Zelenskyy said he plans to meet Trump in Florida as part of efforts to push forward a peace plan aimed at ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President told reporters that the meeting could help move discussions closer to a settlement, even as he cautioned that no final agreement should be expected immediately, according to a CNN report. He said both sides would focus on completing as many unresolved points as possible.

Zelenskyy further stated that the 20-point peace plan proposed by US and Ukrainian officials is 90 per cent ready, adding that talks with Trump would centre on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of its allies in ensuring stability after the war.

In a post on social media earlier, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and the US had agreed to hold a high-level meeting soon, adding that significant decisions could be taken before the New Year.

Zelenskyy wrote that after the latest round of discussions between Ukrainian and US negotiators, “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.”

These developments followed talks held on Thursday, when the Ukrainian leader met Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as part of ongoing consultations.

Updating on the substance of those discussions, Zelenskyy noted that several documents forming part of a broader framework aimed at ending the conflict and supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction were “nearly ready” while others were “fully prepared”.