Progress, Promises And A Roadblock: What Trump And Zelenskyy Agreed In Florida Talks

Last Updated:December 29, 2025, 12:51 IST

Both leaders said the 20-point peace plan has moved forward in Florida, but acknowledged that a few 'thorny' issues still stand in the way of a final deal.

US President Donald Trump with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (AFP)

The latest meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday has injected both optimism and caution into the slow-moving effort to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion. After more than three hours of talks, the two leaders emerged describing the discussions as substantive and productive, even as they acknowledged that the toughest elements of a potential settlement remain unresolved.

Both sides emphasised that progress had been made on a detailed 20-point framework, but neither offered a breakthrough on the central question of territory, which continues to impede a final agreement.

That the talks happened in Florida, rather than Kyiv or Washington, underscored the unusual nature of the current diplomatic track. Yet the setting, and Trump’s recent outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, shaped much of the tone. Trump spoke with Putin for more than an hour before meeting Zelenskyy, with the Kremlin saying the call was requested by Washington. The US president is also expected to speak with Putin again, reinforcing the reality that any deal will ultimately require at least tacit Russian assent.

In this context, both Trump and Zelenskyy framed the meeting as a step forward but not the conclusion of a process that remains complex and politically fraught.

How Much Progress Was Announced?

Zelenskyy said the 20-point peace framework was now “90 per cent agreed", echoing figures he and US officials have used in recent weeks. “We achieved significant results," he said after the meeting, adding that the discussions covered “all aspects of the peace framework" and that the sequence of next steps had been agreed. He described bilateral US–Ukraine security guarantees as “100 per cent agreed", and said broader arrangements involving Europe were “almost agreed".

Trump was similarly upbeat, suggesting the sides were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close", though he avoided citing percentages.

US and Ukrainian teams, along with European partners, have been working intensively on the draft agreement. Trump indicated that these working-level meetings would continue in the coming weeks, potentially in Washington, and that a clearer picture of whether a settlement is possible would emerge soon. “In a few weeks, we’ll know one way or another," he said, acknowledging that the negotiations were in their “very final stages" but also cautioning that “it’s possible it doesn’t happen."

Zelenskyy said Trump had offered to host Ukrainian and European leaders in January as part of the next phase of talks, a proposal welcomed by several EU figures, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

What Has Been Agreed So Far?

The strongest progress in the talks was on security guarantees, which both leaders described as the foundation of the emerging peace framework. Zelenskyy said the bilateral US–Ukraine guarantees were “100 per cent agreed", indicating that Washington and Kyiv have aligned on how the United States would help deter future attacks and stabilise Ukraine once a settlement is reached. Trump called the same set of guarantees “95 per cent done", while avoiding specifics on the type or scale of American support, signalling that the political understanding is in place even if the technical wording is still being finalised.

A second layer of guarantees, involving European partners, is also taking shape. Zelenskyy said these Europe–US–Ukraine guarantees were “almost agreed", and the discussions with EU leaders following the Florida meeting suggest that Europe will anchor a significant portion of the post-war security architecture. Ursula von der Leyen said Europe welcomed the progress.

Zelenskyy added that the “military dimension" of the 20-point framework had also been agreed. While neither side disclosed details, this military track forms part of a wider package covering political arrangements, security commitments and the sequencing of steps needed to make any settlement workable on the ground. In diplomatic terms, it means both sides now share a common understanding of how the military aspects of a post-war environment would be structured, even though the specifics remain confidential.

Trump also offered to address the Ukrainian parliament to build support for the peace plan, a gesture Zelenskyy welcomed and framed as part of the political elements already aligned in principle. Both leaders credited their negotiation teams, naming American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukrainian officials Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov, for the progress reached over recent weeks.

Other chapters of the framework, including the sections on economic recovery and prosperity, are still being negotiated. Kyiv sees these as essential to rebuilding after nearly four years of war, but they have not advanced as far as the security and military tracks.

For Zelenskyy, the guiding principle remains unchanged: Ukraine is “ready for peace", but any agreement must “reflect the will of our people" and remain consistent with Ukrainian law. Trump echoed the sense of forward movement but warned that the most difficult issues — above all, territory — were still unresolved.

Why Territory Remains The Main Obstacle

Territory is the central unresolved issue, and both leaders were candid about the difficulty it presents. Trump said “one or two very thorny issues" remained, identifying land as the hardest challenge. He suggested that some areas “may be up for grabs" in the coming months and raised the question of whether Ukraine would be “better off making a deal now" before Russia attempted further advances.

The Donbas region is at the heart of the dispute. Russia currently controls most of Donetsk and virtually all of Luhansk, the two regions that comprise Donbas. Proposals circulating in various drafts, including a possible demilitarised zone in the region, remain unresolved. Putin has indicated that Moscow views control of Donbas as a condition for ending the war, while Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any formal territorial concession.

Zelenskyy reaffirmed that Ukraine’s position “is very clear", grounded in its law and the will of its people. “We respect the territory which we control," he said, adding that Ukraine and Russia hold “different positions" on the land question. He has indicated a willingness to put any final settlement to a referendum, in line with Ukraine’s constitutional requirements for territorial changes, but stressed that a ceasefire would be required for such a vote. Russia has opposed a temporary truce, arguing that it would only prolong the conflict.

The fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is another unresolved issue. CNN reported that Trump praised Putin for “working with Ukraine on getting it open" and said it was significant that the plant was not being targeted during recent strikes. The nuclear plant remains a sensitive point in negotiations, with both sides linking it to broader security guarantees.

How Putin’s Presence Shaped The Conversation

Although absent from the meeting, Putin’s shadow was evident throughout. Trump’s lengthy phone call with him before the talks set the backdrop for the negotiations. The Kremlin said the two men “generally share similar views" that a temporary truce would merely delay the conflict, reflecting Moscow’s longstanding scepticism of short-term ceasefires. Ukrainian supporters have previously worried that such calls influence Trump’s stance, recalling an October episode when new long-range missiles for Ukraine were withheld after Trump spoke to Putin.

This time, though, the call did not derail the subsequent meeting with Zelenskyy. Trump repeatedly emphasised that Putin was “serious" about peace and said he believed the Russian president when he expressed a desire for a settlement. Still, the fact that Trump plans to speak again with Putin points to the central truth: any deal must involve Moscow, whether directly or through parallel channels.

The Role Of Europe

European leaders remain closely involved in the process. After the Florida meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy held a joint call with a wide group of European heads and senior EU officials, including von der Leyen and the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland and Finland. Several of these leaders are expected to participate in the proposed January meeting, either in Washington or another venue.

The European position centres on ensuring “ironclad security guarantees from day one", a phrase von der Leyen used in her public remarks. European capitals view these guarantees as essential to preventing renewed conflict even if a peace deal is reached.

What Happens Next?

The next phase of negotiations will focus on the unresolved issues: territory, the nuclear plant, and details of collective security guarantees involving European partners. Working-level teams will continue meeting next week to refine the draft, with political-level talks expected once the final proposals are ready.

Trump has avoided setting any deadline for a deal, stressing that the war will either end in the coming weeks or continue “for a long time". Zelenskyy, while expressing gratitude for US engagement, has been clear that Ukraine cannot accept peace on terms that contradict its laws or the expectations of its citizens. That tension remains the core challenge.

For now, the war continues. The framework is substantially written, most elements have been agreed, and both leaders claim unprecedented progress. But until the questions of land and long-term guarantees are resolved, the prospects of a final settlement remain uncertain, even as diplomacy edges closer to a potential turning point.

News explainers Progress, Promises And A Roadblock: What Trump And Zelenskyy Agreed In Florida Talks

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