Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on 28/12 for nearly three hours of talks with his American counterpart, Donald Trump. The two leaders also held a joint call lasting over one hour with leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the Secretary General of NATO, and the President of the European Commission to discuss "concrete steps" to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint press conference following the talks, President Trump stated he had a "great meeting" with President Zelensky, during which they discussed numerous issues.

The Ukrainian delegation (left) and the American delegation at Mar-a-Lago, Florida on 28/12. *Photo: AP*

"We are getting much closer, perhaps very close," Trump said, emphasizing that "significant progress has been made in efforts to end the hostilities." The US President also noted that the success of the negotiations would become clear "in a few weeks."

President Zelensky announced that Washington and Kyiv had reached an agreement on security assurances for Ukraine. Trump, however, was more cautious, suggesting the agreement was only about 95% complete and expressed hope that European countries would assume most of the responsibility with US backing.

The two leaders acknowledged a lack of consensus on the future of the Donbass region, which includes the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces. "It's not resolved yet, but we are getting much closer. This is a very difficult issue," Trump stated.

President Zelensky reaffirmed his position that the Ukrainian people would decide territorial issues. He also left open the possibility of holding a referendum on all aspects of a peace plan, not just this specific topic. Zelensky added that the Ukrainian parliament could also participate in this process.

President Trump warned of unexpected issues that could derail negotiation efforts. He did not rule out the possibility of visiting Ukraine and engaging with its parliament to promote a peace agreement, though he considered it unlikely.

President Zelensky (left) and President Trump hold a press conference after their talks on 28/12. *Photo: AFP*

Immediately before meeting President Zelensky, President Trump had a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Trump described the call as "effective", while Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy advisor, stated that the two leaders had "a friendly conversation."

President Putin told Trump that Ukraine and the European Union's proposal for a 60-day ceasefire would only prolong the conflict, adding that Kyiv needed to make an "immediate" decision on the Donbass issue.

According to Russian officials, the government agreed to establish working groups to resolve the hostilities, focusing on economic and security issues.

President Putin stated on 28/12 that Russia would continue its special operation if Ukraine did not promptly accept a peace agreement. Moscow had recently made several advances on the battlefield, including controlling a series of strategic strongholds in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia provinces.

Territorial issues remain a difficult point for consensus in peace agreements. Russia seeks to control the entire Donbass region, while Ukraine proposes freezing the current front lines. In an effort to find a compromise, the United States suggested Ukraine withdraw from areas it still holds in Donbass to establish a free economic zone, though how this zone would operate in practice remains unclear.

*Pham Giang (According to Reuters, CNN)*