Trump says Ukraine peace talks in ‘final stages’, Donbas dispute unresolved after Zelenskyy talks

Ukraine peace talks in ‘final stages’, Trump says; Donbas remains unresolved

US President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine were in their “final stages” after nearly three hours of closed-door talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Sunday, though key disagreements over eastern Ukraine remain unresolved.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump said the security guarantees being discussed for Ukraine were “close to 95 per cent” complete, while cautioning that territorial issues, particularly in the Donbas region, continue to pose challenges.

“We discussed a lot of points. I do think we're getting a lot closer, maybe very close,” Trump said.

The two leaders briefly addressed reporters outside the Florida estate before entering talks focused on a new proposal aimed at resolving the conflict with Russia. Trump later described the discussions as “highly productive” and said diplomatic efforts were nearing a decisive phase.

“I think we're very, we're in the final stages of talking, and we're going to see. Otherwise, it's going to go on for a long time,” he said, adding that there was no fixed deadline for a deal.

Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he spoke to shortly before meeting Zelenskyy, was “very serious” about peace and that a “strong agreement” was being shaped to guarantee Ukraine’s security, with European countries playing a role.

“I just had a very good and productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia,” Trump said earlier on his Truth Social platform, noting that the two leaders would speak again following the Florida talks.

Zelenskyy, speaking alongside Trump, said significant progress had been made on a proposed peace framework. He said a 20-point peace plan was now 90 per cent agreed, while security guarantees, Kyiv’s central demand, had been settled.

“Security guarantees are the key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that Ukrainian and European delegations would continue technical discussions in the coming weeks to finalise remaining issues, with further talks expected to be hosted by Trump in Washington in January.

Land disputes unresolved

Despite progress on security arrangements, eastern Ukraine remains a major sticking point. Trump acknowledged that disagreements persist over Donbas.

“It’s unresolved but it’s getting a lot closer,” he said when asked about the region.

Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s position on territorial integrity. “We respect the land we control,” he said, adding that Kyiv’s stance on Donbas is “very clear” and that “we have a different position to Russia”.

Hours before the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, Russia renewed pressure on Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region. Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov said Kyiv should take the “brave decision” to pull out “without delay”, calling it a key Russian condition for any agreement.

Ushakov said Moscow opposed any temporary ceasefire, arguing it would only prolong the conflict. “Russia and the United States share the same position, which is that the Ukrainian and European proposal for a temporary ceasefire (...) would only prolong the conflict and lead to a resumption of hostilities,” he said.

Trump echoed that view, saying Putin had not agreed to a ceasefire because he did not want fighting to pause only to resume later.

Asked about the timeline for ending the war, Trump said a resolution could be reached within weeks, while acknowledging uncertainty.

“In a few weeks we will know one way or the other,” he said.

Trump said he could eventually see the US, Ukraine and Russia sitting together for direct talks and remained open to visiting Ukraine after securing an agreement. He also said he had offered to address Ukraine’s parliament if Zelenskyy felt it would be helpful.

While posing with Zelenskyy outside Mar-a-Lago, Trump repeated his belief that both Moscow and Kyiv wanted a deal.