US President Donald Trump has concluded a critical round of peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that while significant progress was made, several "thorny issues" still stand in the way of a final agreement to end the war with Russia.
Substantive Talks Yield Progress on Security Guarantees
The leaders met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Sunday, 29 December 2025, for what the US president later described as a "terrific" meeting focused on his administration's 20-point peace plan. President Zelensky told reporters afterwards that security guarantees between the United States and Ukraine had been "100 per cent agreed".
Furthermore, the Ukrainian leader indicated that guarantees involving the US, Europe, and Ukraine were "almost agreed". Both leaders confirmed that American and Ukrainian negotiating teams would reconvene the following week to finalise the outstanding details.
In a statement on Telegram, President Zelensky said, "We had a substantive conversation on all issues and highly value the progress that the Ukrainian and American teams have made over the past weeks." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also hailed the "good progress" made during a subsequent call with the leaders.
Russian Warnings and the Kremlin's Stance
The high-stakes diplomatic push comes against a backdrop of continued threats from Moscow. President Trump revealed he had spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin ahead of the meeting with Zelensky. A Kremlin spokesperson stated that both leaders did not want a temporary ceasefire ahead of a comprehensive agreement and urged Ukraine to make a decision regarding the contested Donbas region.
In a stark warning published by Russia's state news agency TASS on the same day, Moscow declared that any European troop contingents deployed to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for Russia's armed forces. President Putin reiterated that Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force if Kyiv refused to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Broader Context: Domestic Crackdowns and Defence Innovations
As the peace talks unfolded, a Russian court sentenced prominent Putin critic and pro-war activist Sergei Udaltsov to six years in prison on charges of justifying terrorism. Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, was arrested in 2024.
On the battlefield, reports indicate Ukraine is rapidly deploying new, low-cost interceptor drones to bolster its air defence against Russian attacks on cities and infrastructure. This innovation highlights the ongoing adaptation of military tactics despite the diplomatic manoeuvres.
Meanwhile, an analysis of the Mar-a-Lago meeting noted that President Trump used the occasion to revisit conspiracy theories about the 2020 US election, raising questions about whether such digressions could complicate the already delicate peace process.
In a sign of potential international approval for Trump's efforts, Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev stated on social media platform X that "The whole world appreciates President Trump and his team’s peace efforts." The path to a sustainable peace, however, remains fraught with the significant challenges both leaders acknowledged at the close of their talks.
