U.S. President Donald Trump is set to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday in an effort to finalize a peace deal to conclude the nearly four-year conflict that began with Russia’s invasion. In the lead-up to the talks, Russia escalated its assaults on Kyiv and other Ukrainian locations.
The meeting will take place at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private Florida club, where he is holidaying. The leaders intend to talk about security and economic pacts, and Zelenskyy is expected to bring up “territorial issues,” as disputes continue between Moscow and Kyiv regarding the future of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Overnight, Russian forces launched three guided aerial bombs that hit houses in Sloviansk, as reported by local military administration head Vadym Lakh on Telegram. The attack resulted in three injuries and one fatality.
This bombardment occurred a day after Russia conducted a major strike on Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials said killed at least one and injured 27. The assault started early in the morning, with explosions reverberating throughout the capital for several hours.
In other news, repair work on power lines near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has commenced to reduce nuclear accident risks, following a local ceasefire arranged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency, citing Director General Rafael Grossi, stated the “crucial” repairs should take several days. Russian troops have controlled the plant since the war’s start, and Zelenskyy has identified its status as a central topic for the U.S.-mediated peace talks with Russia.
“Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X this past Saturday. “We need to be strong at the negotiating table.”
Reacting to the recent attacks, he added: “We want peace, and Russia demonstrates a desire to continue the war. If the whole world — Europe and America — is on our side, together we will stop” Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a Saturday meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Zelenskyy stated that peace hinges on “pressure on Russia and sufficient, strong support for Ukraine.” Accordingly, Carney pledged an additional C$2.5 billion (US$1.8 billion) in government economic aid for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Carney condemned the “barbarism” of Russia’s recent strikes on Kyiv and praised both Zelenskyy and Trump for fostering the circumstances for a “just and lasting peace” at a pivotal time.
The face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy also highlights the notable headway made by Trump’s lead negotiators in recent weeks, as both sides exchanged draft peace plans and worked on a proposal to cease hostilities. Zelenskyy informed reporters on Friday that a discussed 20-point draft is “about 90% ready,” mirroring the level of readiness and optimism expressed by U.S. officials after Trump’s chief negotiators met with Russian counterparts earlier in the month.
In the latest discussions, the United States consented to provide certain security guarantees akin to those given to NATO members. This offer followed Zelenskyy’s statement that he would consider withdrawing Ukraine’s NATO membership application if the country received equivalent protection against potential future Russian aggression.
‘Intensive’ weeks ahead
On Christmas Day, Zelenskyy also held discussions with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. The Ukrainian president noted on X that they talked about “certain substantive details of the ongoing work” and later warned that “there is still work to be done on sensitive issues” and “the weeks ahead may also be intensive.”
For much of his first year back in the White House, Trump has been deeply involved in the Ukraine situation, expressing frustration with both Zelenskyy and Putin while openly recognizing the challenges of resolving the war. This contrasts with his 2024 campaign claim that he could end the fighting in a single day.
Following recent negotiations, Trump called for both Russia and Ukraine to cease fire and “stop at the battle line,” suggesting Moscow could retain the Ukrainian territory it currently holds.
Zelenskyy stated last week that he would consider a withdrawal from Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a peace plan, provided Russia also retreats and the zone becomes a demilitarized area under international observation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters on Friday that Moscow had already been in communication with U.S. officials.
“It was agreed upon to continue the dialogue,” he said.
Putin wants Russian gains kept, and more
Putin has publicly declared that he seeks recognition of all territories seized by his forces in four key regions, plus the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014, as Russian land. He has also demanded that Ukrainian troops withdraw from some eastern areas not yet captured by Russia. Kyiv has publicly refused all these conditions.
The Kremlin further insists that Ukraine drop its NATO membership aspirations. It has warned that any deployment of troops from alliance members would be unacceptable and considered a “legitimate target.”
Additionally, Putin has reiterated demands for Ukraine to cap its military size and grant official status to the Russian language, conditions he has maintained since the conflict began.
This month, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Kommersant newspaper that Russian police and national guard would remain in sections of Donetsk—a major part of the Donbas region alongside Luhansk—even if the area were to become a demilitarized zone under a potential peace agreement.
Ushakov warned that reaching a compromise might be a lengthy process. He added that U.S. proposals which initially considered Russian demands had been “worsened” by changes suggested by Ukraine and its European allies.
Trump has shown some openness to Putin’s demands, arguing that the Russian leader could be convinced to end the war if Kyiv agrees to relinquish territory in the Donbas and if Western nations provide economic incentives to reintegrate Russia into the global economy.