How Ukraine peace talks moved across Russia, the US, and Europe in one day

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were nearing a breakthrough, following talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump described the discussions as “terrific” and said substantial progress had been made. “We’ve done very well. We’ve had discussions on just about every subject,” he said, adding that the two sides were “very close” to a peace deal.

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According to Trump, talks had covered almost all major issues required to end the conflict. “Somebody would say 95 per cent. I don’t know the percentage, but we’ve made a lot of progress,” he said, while acknowledging that “one or two very thorny issues” remained unresolved.

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European leaders looped in after Florida meeting

Trump said he and Zelensky held follow-up discussions with several European leaders after their bilateral talks, citing the scale and implications of the conflict. Leaders from Poland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Finland, and Germany were consulted, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“We thought it was appropriate to speak with them,” Trump said. “Our meeting was excellent.”

Zelensky, meanwhile, thanked Trump and his team’s senior members for sustained engagement in the peace effort. He said discussions had covered “all aspects of the peace framework” and pointed to what he called “great achievements” across several areas.

Security guarantees ‘almost agreed’, Zelensky says

Zelensky said the two sides were close to finalising security guarantees, which he described as central to ending the war. “We agreed that security guarantees are a key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” he said.

Zelensky added that while US-Ukraine security guarantees were “almost agreed”, military components of the plan were “100 per cent agreed”. A separate prosperity plan, he said, was still being finalised.

Trump, however, struck a cautious note on territorial questions, particularly the future of the Donbas region. When asked whether an agreement had been reached, he said, “The word agreed is too strong. But we’re getting closer.”

He said Russia’s position on Donbas was widely known. “That’s what they’ve been asking for,” Trump said, adding that the issue needs to be “ironed out”.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s stance remained rooted in law and public approval. Any difficult provisions, he said, could require parliamentary approval or even a referendum. “We have to respect our law and our people,” he said. “It’s the land of our nation.”

Trump says he spoke to Putin before Zelensky meeting

Earlier in the day, Trump said he had held what he described as a “very productive” telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin before meeting Zelensky in Florida.

“I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The Kremlin later confirmed the phone call, according to Russian officials.

Next steps and timeline still uncertain

Both leaders said working groups would continue discussions in the coming weeks. Trump said the US team would include senior officials and would also engage directly with Russia. “Because to work with ourselves doesn’t really solve much of a problem,” he said.

Zelensky said Trump had decided to arrange a meeting in the future, most probably in Washington. European leaders might attend the meeting. Asked about timing, Trump said an agreement could come within weeks if talks continued smoothly. “And if it went really poorly, it’s not going to happen,” he added.

The war in Ukraine began in February 2022 and has since become Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II, triggering widespread destruction and displacement. Previous diplomatic efforts have repeatedly stalled over territorial disputes, security guarantees and enforcement mechanisms, making the current round of talks closely watched worldwide.