Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida as talks continue on ending Ukraine war

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, says he plans to meet Donald Trump in Florida this weekend. Diplomatic efforts are intensifying to bring Russia’s full-scale invasion to an end.

Mr Zelensky said the talks are expected to take place on Sunday. They will centre on a US-backed peace framework. Kyiv described it as a 20-point plan. There are also separate proposals for American security guarantees for Ukraine.

But the distance between Kyiv and Moscow remains wide. A senior Russian official said the Ukrainian-backed plan differed sharply from proposals Russia has been discussing with Washington. This underlines the challenges facing negotiators.

Russia has spoken of what it calls gradual progress in contacts with the US. However, it has not responded publicly to Ukraine’s suggestion. Ukraine proposed that both sides withdraw troops from parts of eastern Ukraine. These include areas of the Donbas. This was part of a reciprocal deal.

Ukraine has made security guarantees a core demand. Mr Zelensky has suggested creating a demilitarized “free economic zone” in parts of the Donbas. These are areas that Russian forces have failed to seize militarily.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Ukrainian president said the peace package was close to completion. “We are around 90% there,” he said, adding that the aim was to finalise outstanding elements as quickly as possible.

Mr Zelensky posted on social media. He had agreed to a high-level meeting with President Trump “in the near future.” He added that significant decisions be taken before the end of the year.

Russian officials, including advisers to Vladimir Putin, have continued discussions with US counterparts by phone. Moscow’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, said Russia was cautiously optimistic, while accusing Ukraine of attempting to undermine negotiations.

He told Russian state television that late December could be remembered as a turning point. However, he said a deal would depend on “political will on the other side”.

As diplomatic activity continued, the fighting did not stop. Shortly after news of Mr Zelensky’s planned trip emerged, officials in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv reported that two people had been killed and several others injured in a Russian air strike.

The Ukrainian leader has met President Trump several times this year. An early meeting at the White House in February had sharp exchanges. Later, in October, officials described the encounter as more constructive.

Mr Zelensky said he had a lengthy phone call on Christmas Day with Trump’s key negotiators. This included US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. He described the conversation as productive and said it had generated fresh ideas on how to end the conflict.

Washington has proposed establishing a demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine. Neither side would deploy troops there. The legal status of disputed territories will remain unresolved for now. Mr Zelensky has indicated that Ukraine will pull back forces by up to 40km. This would happen if Russia did the same in occupied areas of the Donbas.

Kyiv says it has already secured changes to earlier US draft proposals, which had been criticised for favouring Moscow. The latest discussions are also expected to cover economic arrangements and formal US security commitments.

Territorial control remains the most difficult issue. The future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, is also challenging. It is currently under Russian control. A US proposal would see Ukraine and Russia share the electricity produced there.

Under the updated plan, the US and European allies would offer security guarantees modeled on Nato’s Article 5. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s armed forces would stay at around 800,000 personnel. Russia has previously demanded that this figure be reduced.

Meanwhile, air attacks have continued across Ukraine. The air force said it shot down dozens of drones overnight, while Russia reported intercepting Ukrainian missiles and drones. Kyiv said it had struck energy infrastructure inside Russia.

Despite the diplomatic push, there is little sign yet that the fighting on the ground is easing.