US President Donald Trump was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago today to finalize a peace agreement aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Shortly before the meeting, Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he described as "good and very productive."
The meeting comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to reach a settlement. Zelensky wrote on social media: "These are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year right now, and a lot can be decided before the New Year." A draft peace proposal reportedly stands at 90 percent completion.
The timing is critical. Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv just a day before the talks. Zelensky responded that this "really shows that Putin doesn't want peace."
Russian threats overshadow talks
Hours before the meeting, Putin issued a stark warning. He stated that if the Kyiv authorities do not want to end the matter peacefully, Russia will "resolve all the tasks facing us in the course of the special military operation using armed force."
Adding to tensions, Russian propagandist Sergey Mikheyev made inflammatory comments on state television. Speaking on the Kremlin-controlled program "The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov," he claimed: "If we held a referendum on our military policy, and asked Russians what should have happened, Europe and Ukraine would have been turned into a pile of smoking, radioactive ashes a long time ago." He added: "Burn everything down, so they cannot open their mouths again. Yes, there are people with different opinions, but this is the opinion of the majority."
Territorial disputes at center
The talks will focus on territorial issues in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russia demands Ukraine cede Luhansk and Donetsk, which Zelensky has continued to resist. However, Zelensky has indicated openness to creating a demilitarized zone on Ukraine's eastern border with Russia.
The proposed peace plan includes US security guarantees mirroring NATO's Article 5. European leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, insist NATO forces must monitor any ceasefire. Russia is likely to object to NATO involvement.
Tense history between leaders
This marks the fifth meeting between Trump and Zelensky. Tension has marked their relationship, particularly during a notorious February 28 encounter at the Oval Office. Trump reportedly shouted that Ukraine was "gambling with World War III" and accused Zelensky of insufficient gratitude for US aid.
Zelensky prepared for today's talks by consulting with Starmer and meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney in Canada. He expressed hope that European leaders could join the discussions "either on Sunday or at a future date."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
