Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to work on a plan aimed at ending the war with Russia. The talks at Trump’s Mar a Lago residence will focus on a revised 20 point peace proposal that Zelensky says is “90% ready.”
The meeting comes after a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities, which Zelensky described as Moscow’s answer to intensified US brokered peace efforts. Power and heating were knocked out in parts of the capital during the strikes.
Zelensky has told journalists he plans to raise the fate of the contested Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, as well as the future of the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and broader security guarantees for Ukraine. He is also expected to push for firm commitments on Ukraine’s path to the European Union and long term Western security assurances modelled on NATO style protections.
The current 20 point framework was drafted by US and Ukrainian officials after an earlier 28 point version leaked in November drew criticism for appearing to favour Russian demands, including extra territorial concessions and military limits on Ukraine. Zelensky says the new draft preserves Ukraine’s core interests, including maintaining a strong standing army and securing binding defence pacts with the US and European allies.
Trump has signalled he alone will decide whether Washington backs the plan, saying Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it.” US officials have also held separate contacts with Russian envoys and European partners in an effort to craft a text both sides could, in principle, accept.
Key elements of the draft include the withdrawal of Russian forces from parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions and the deployment of international monitors along the front line to oversee any truce. The proposal also envisages strong security guarantees compelling Ukraine’s allies to respond if Russia launches a new attack, plus timelines for EU membership, elections after an agreement and an accelerated US–Ukraine free trade deal.
Despite the diplomatic push, analysts warn that Russia has given few signs it is ready to accept the terms, and President Vladimir Putin has recently accused Ukraine of being “in no hurry” for peace. Zelensky, however, said “a lot can be decided before the New Year” and expressed hope that the Florida talks could move the process significantly forward.
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