Zelenskyy thanked Trump for talks as Ukraine peace negotiations enter ‘final stages’

Trump Zelenskyy meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President Donald Trump and his team for the negotiations following their meeting, expressing appreciation for Washington’s support and saying both sides shared a common vision on the sequencing of steps toward peace.

The remarks came after Trump said talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were in their “final stages” following nearly three hours of closed-door discussions with Zelenskyy at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Sunday, even as key disagreements over eastern Ukraine remain unresolved.

I thank President Trump @POTUS and his team for the negotiations. I thank the United States for its support. Together, we must – and can – implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace. pic.twitter.com/YklMUd62BA

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2025

“We’re in the final stages of talking. We’re going to see. Otherwise, it’s going to go on for a long time,” Trump said.

Also read: Trump’s ‘discoloured’ hands spark online speculation during Zelenskyy meeting at Mar-a-Lago

“It’ll either end, or it’s going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed,” he added.

Must read: Putin envoy praises Trump’s peace efforts, shares Florida wake-surfing video ahead of Zelenskyy talks | Watch

When asked whether he had set a deadline for ending the war, Trump said he was not working toward a fixed timeline.

Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke with the US leader by telephone shortly beforehand, who immediately insisted that Moscow was "serious" about peace despite the assault.

The comments followed Trump’s claim that he had held a “very productive call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago. “I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia before my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.