NYT: Trump and Zelensky meet “to iron out” peace plan, but deal remains elusive

President Trump hosted Zelensky of Ukraine at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday – the contempt in Trump's gaze and the puppy-like submission in Zelensky's
Photo: ‘The New York Times’

The U.S. president said after a meeting at Mar-a-Lago that a deal was “maybe very close.” But a joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal appeared unfinished, as Russia rejected several ideas, ‘The New York Times’ reports.

President Trump said while hosting Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Sunday that he believed Russia and Ukraine were “maybe very close” to ending a nearly four-year war, even as Russia rejected some terms sought by Ukrainian negotiators.

Mr. Trump met with Mr. Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to discuss a revised 20-point peace plan. Mr. Zelensky said that the latest proposal developed by Ukraine and the United States was nearly complete, and both leaders stressed that the lengthy peace talks would continue.

Significant obstacles remain, chief among them the willingness of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to sign on to the peace framework pushed by Kyiv and Mr. Trump’s top negotiators.

“He wants to see it happen, he wants to see it,” Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin told him about his interest in reaching an agreement. The U.S. president said that before greeting Mr. Zelensky he had spoken with the Russian leader for more than two hours. “He told me very strongly,” Mr. Trump said. “I believe him.”

Still, Mr. Trump seemed intent on Sunday to avoid raising expectations for an imminent deal too high as he fielded questions about when he wanted a peace agreement signed, and whether the Ukrainians could rely on security guarantees from the West.

“It’s possible it doesn’t happen,” Mr. Trump said of a peace deal. “In a few weeks, we’ll know one way or another.”

Mr. Zelensky, for his part, described the talks as “a great meeting” with “a great discussion on all the topics,” saying that the two sides had agreed on the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine. Mr. Trump was more circumspect but said European countries would take the lead. On other issues, there was little indication of a major breakthrough.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation European Union, wrote on social media that several European leaders had held an hourlong call with Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky to discuss the peace negotiation discussions.

Trump explains his peace plan to Zelensky
Photo: AP

The US president said he had held a “good and very productive” telephone call lasting more than two hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to his meeting with Zelenskyy, Reuters writes.

Trump cautioned that there were still “thorny” issues remaining in reaching a peace agreement, saying “the word agreed is too strong, but we are getting closer”. He specifically cited disagreements over “land”, an allusion to the deep schism between Moscow and Kyiv over possible territorial concessions.

Putin has stuck to his maximalist demands, including that Ukraine unilaterally withdraw from the remaining part of the eastern Donbas region still under Kyiv’s control. Trump’s original plan — drawn up with Russia’s help — called for that area to be recognised officially as Russian territory — something that Zelenskyy has described as a red line.

Trump said on Sunday that the issue surrounding a possible “demilitarised zone”, or “economic zone” as Zelenskyy has referred to it in recent weeks, in the Donbas region remained “unresolved”.

Asked about what specifically the US had offered Ukraine in the way of security guarantees, a crucial element for Kyiv in agreeing to a deal, Trump said he wanted to “work with Europe”, which would “take over a big part of it”.

Zelenskyy told European leaders in a telephone call on Saturday that he did not expect Russia to drop its uncompromising demands or agree to Ukraine’s proposed plan, but wanted the US to shift its focus to pressuring Russia, according to two people briefed on their call.

Russia has already indicated it will reject any amendments Ukraine proposes to Trump’s earlier 28-point plan, which was drafted in the autumn with significant input from Moscow.

Earlier on Sunday Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, claimed Kyiv was trying to evade “constructive negotiations” on a way to end the war.