By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, December 28, 2025. Article n°1953
Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump are meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida for high‑stakes talks on a possible Ukraine peace deal with Russia. The meeting centers on a nearly completed 20‑point U.S.-backed framework that could set conditions for a cease-fire and longer-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
”Today we will have a great meeting. I really believe that we have all the prerequisites for a deal,” Mr. Trump told reporters (broadcast by CNBC). He believes that the future deal will be beneficial for both sides of the conflict. Both Russia and Ukraine are committed to resolving the conflict, Donald Trump stressed.
What is happening
Trump is hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, with press access, as part of the latest push to end nearly four years of full-scale war in Ukraine.
Zelensky has said the peace plan is “about 90% ready” and that “a lot can be decided before the New Year,” signaling hope for a breakthrough but not a guaranteed deal.
Main points of the peace plan
The draft 20‑point plan addresses:
Security assurances for Ukraine from the U.S. and European partners, modeled in part on collective-defense style commitments if Russia attacks again.
Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction and economic partnership with Western investors and governments.
Separate documents under discussion cover future security guarantees and an economic recovery strategy, including major private‑sector involvement.
Biggest sticking issues
Territory: A key dispute is the status of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Russia wants full control as part of any settlement.
Some ideas floated include:
Creating a demilitarized zone along the current line of contact, potentially turning contested areas into a “free economic zone.”
Possible Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donbas if Russian forces also pull back and international monitors oversee the area.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Control and safety oversight of Europe’s largest nuclear facility remain unresolved in the talks.
Ukraine is ready to withdraw troops from the front line if Russia does the same, writes the Financial Times. According to the publication’s sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed European leaders about this during telephone conversations on December 27.
According to FT sources, Kyiv insists on creating a demilitarized zone and obtaining reliable security guarantees. They should clearly spell out the actions of Ukraine’s allies in the event of a violation of the peace agreement by Russia. Kyiv’s other conditions are the military presence of Europe in Ukraine, stable financing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including support for air defense systems.
European leaders committed on December 18 to lend Ukraine 90 billion euros, or around $105 billion, to help the country keep fighting Russia but failed to agree on a plan to use frozen Russian assets for the loan.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly assured that no U.S. troops will be deployed to Ukraine as part of any peace or security arrangement, stating, “You have my assurance—and I’m president” when questioned about sending American soldiers to defend Ukraine’s border against Russia. Trump reiterated this position in a televised interview on August 19.
Where things stand now
U.S., Ukrainian, and European negotiators have already reached broad understanding on most elements, leaving “minor details” and the hardest political choices for leaders.
Trump has spoken by phone with the Russian president Vladimir Putin before the Mar-a-Lago meeting and describes the call as “good and very productive,” but Russia has not publicly accepted the framework and maintains maximal territorial demands.
Zelensky stresses that any territorial changes would ultimately require Ukrainian public approval, likely via referendum, and that a cease-fire of sufficient length would be needed to hold such a vote.
What to watch next
Whether Trump and Zelensky announce:
- A formal cease-fire framework.
- A political agreement in principle on Donbas and the demilitarized zone concept.
- Concrete security guarantees and timelines for implementation.
How Russia responds to the 20‑point plan currently under Kremlin review, since no peace deal can take effect without Moscow’s buy‑in.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev traveled to Miami on December 20, to take part in high-level talks on a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. The visit was part of a broader U.S.-brokered diplomatic track linked to President Donald Trump’s emerging peace framework.
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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1953
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