Trump and Zelensky Say Ukraine Peace Talks Near Finish After Mar‑a‑Lago Meeting

Overview

• After more than two hours of talks, Trump called the negotiations the “final stage,” said progress was substantial, and noted roughly 95% of security provisions are resolved without setting a deadline.
• Zelensky said about 90% of a U.S.-drafted 20‑point plan is agreed and announced further team meetings in January, with additional consultations expected with European leaders in Washington.
• Territorial control in Donbas remains the central impasse, as the Kremlin urges a Ukrainian withdrawal while Kyiv favors freezing current lines, and Putin opposes a temporary ceasefire to enable referendums.
• The status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is unresolved, with ideas such as shared or international operation under discussion that Kyiv has resisted despite IAEA-facilitated repair pauses.
• The diplomatic push followed one of the year’s largest Russian strikes on Kyiv, reported as roughly 500 drones and 40 missiles, which caused deaths, injuries, and widespread power outages.