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Trump and Zelenskyy Meet in Florida for Ukraine Peace Negotiations

2025-12-28

The BareStory

U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on December 28 in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, for talks focused on a potential peace plan and security guarantees for Ukraine. The meeting is part of a U.S. and European-backed effort to end the nearly four-year war with Russia. The discussions took place one day after a Russian attack on Kyiv.

President Zelenskyy has urged international partners to maintain support, stating that Russia had launched over 2,100 attack drones and hundreds of bombs and missiles in the past week. According to Zelenskyy, the Kyiv attack was Russia's "answer" to the peace negotiations. He also said a draft 20-point peace plan is "about 90% ready," and that he had previously offered to withdraw troops from the country's eastern industrial heartland if Russia also pulled back to create a demilitarized zone.

Ahead of the meeting, President Trump said he held a "good and very productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Regarding a potential agreement, Trump stated that Zelenskyy "doesn't have anything until I approve it." A draft plan, previously agreed upon by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, is reportedly under review by the Kremlin. According to one account, Moscow has not shown a willingness to compromise on its territorial demands and has not indicated it would withdraw its troops.

Left Perspective

  • Russia is actively undermining peace efforts with continued attacks.
  • A comprehensive peace plan is nearly complete.
  • Ukraine has previously offered a major concession for a demilitarized zone.

Right Perspective

  • The U.S. President holds final approval over any potential peace deal.
  • The U.S. is engaging in direct dialogue with Russian leadership.
  • A draft plan is under review, though Russian compromise is uncertain.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• A peace deal could alter future U.S. financial and military support for Ukraine, potentially affecting federal spending and resource allocation.

• The president’s direct involvement and final approval authority in the talks signals a hands-on U.S. foreign policy approach to resolving the conflict.

• The outcome remains speculative, as Russia has reportedly not shown a willingness to compromise, meaning any potential impacts on U.S. policy are not yet clear.

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