WASHINGTON, Dec 27: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday, as diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine pick up pace. Zelensky said the talks would focus on a peace framework backed by Washington, along with separate proposals linked to US security support, according to the BBC.
Russian officials reacted cautiously. A senior Moscow figure said the US-backed plan now being discussed differs sharply from the one Russia has been negotiating with Washington. While Moscow has spoken of gradual movement in talks, it has not responded publicly to Zelensky’s suggestion of a mutual troop pullback from parts of eastern Ukraine, the BBC reported.
As diplomacy continued, fighting showed no sign of easing. Explosions were heard in Kyiv late Saturday, which Ukrainian officials described as a fresh Russian aerial assault. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said air defence units were active and urged residents to seek shelter. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the BBC said.
Russia launched its full scale invasion in February 2022 and now controls around three-quarters of the Donetsk region and almost all of neighbouring Luhansk. Together, the two regions form the Donbas, much of which has been at the centre of the conflict, according to the BBC.
Zelensky, Biden discuss support for Ukraine over phone
Zelensky has pressed for firm US security guarantees as part of any settlement. He has floated the idea of turning contested areas not fully occupied by Russian forces into a demilitarised free economic zone. Speaking on Friday, Zelensky said a proposed 20-point plan was close to completion and stressed the need to finalise it soon, the BBC reported.
On social media, Zelensky said preparations were moving fast and that a high-level meeting with Trump had been agreed. He suggested that key decisions could be made before the new year. Trump, in comments to Politico, said Zelensky would not secure an agreement without his approval and expressed confidence about talks with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the BBC noted.
Trump also said he expected to speak with Putin soon and confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would visit him in the coming days. Meanwhile, Russian officials have continued phone contacts with US counterparts following a recent Florida visit by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to the BBC.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said progress was visible but accused Kyiv of trying to disrupt talks around the US proposal. He said late December 2025 could be remembered as a moment when a solution came close, pending political will, as quoted by the BBC.
Soon after news of Zelensky’s Florida trip emerged, Kharkiv’s mayor said a Russian air strike killed two people and injured several others. Zelensky and Trump have met several times this year. An early meeting in February ended in sharp exchanges, while a later October meeting was described as calmer, the BBC said.
Confirmation of the upcoming talks followed Zelensky’s hour-long Christmas Day call with Trump’s negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Zelensky said the discussion produced fresh ideas and described it as productive, according to the BBC.
The White House has proposed a demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine, delaying decisions on sovereignty. Zelensky said Ukraine could pull forces back up to 40 kilometres if Russia did the same. Kyiv has also pushed changes to an earlier draft seen as favouring Moscow, with talks now set to focus on security guarantees and an economic deal, the BBC reported.
Territory and the future of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remain the hardest issues. Washington has suggested sharing the plant’s power output. Russia has rejected any deal that does not involve full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas. The latest plan includes security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 and keeps Ukraine’s armed forces at 800,000 troops, a level Moscow opposes, according to the BBC.
