Washington, DC (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine is “very close” after holding separate talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to halt a conflict now approaching its fourth year.
Trump spoke after a nearly three-hour meeting with Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, hours after a phone call with Putin, and amid ongoing consultations with European leaders on a United States-backed peace proposal.
“I think we are getting closer,” Trump told reporters after the meeting, adding that discussions focused on a 20-point peace plan promoted by Washington and Kyiv.
However, he acknowledged that differences remain over the future status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
“We are at 95%, but I don’t like talking in percentages,” Trump said. “There are one or two very tough, thorny issues, but we’ve made a lot of progress today and over the past month.”
Zelenskyy also described the meeting as positive and said both sides agreed to meet again “in the coming weeks” to finalize pending elements of the plan.
“We have broad agreements on the 20-point plan. I think it is about 90% agreed,” Zelenskyy said, without specifying where or when the next meeting would take place.
The meeting followed Zelenskyy’s recent phone talks with White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during which they discussed “new ideas” on formats, meetings, and a roadmap for peace negotiations.
Trump says Putin ‘serious’ about peace
Earlier on Sunday, Trump said he believed Putin was “serious” about reaching a peace agreement, following a phone conversation with the Russian leader.
“Yes, I think he is. I think both of them are,” Trump told CNN when asked whether he trusted Putin’s intentions.
Trump said he has not set a deadline to end the war but stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement. “Too many people are dying,” he said.
He added that he plans to speak again with Putin and European leaders after concluding talks with Zelenskyy, as part of efforts to consolidate international backing for the proposal.
According to Trump, the conversation with Putin showed progress “in the right direction” toward defining the future of Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces in Donbas.
Key points of the peace plan
The 20-point peace plan, which Moscow has so far rejected, includes a non-aggression pact between Russia and Ukraine and US security guarantees for Kyiv comparable to those provided by NATO.
On territorial arrangements, Ukraine has proposed either freezing the current front line or establishing a demilitarized zone in parts of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control but claimed by Russia.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has already begun preparations to hold presidential elections, forming a cross-party working group to address legal, security, and logistical obstacles.
He said Kyiv is also considering holding elections simultaneously with a referendum on the 20-point peace document.
Elections during wartime have been widely opposed within Ukraine and would require legislative changes, but Kyiv has recently shown openness to the idea under pressure from Trump.
The move is seen as an attempt to counter claims by Moscow and some US officials that Ukraine’s current leadership lacks legitimacy.
Zelensky arrived in Florida after meeting in Canada with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said negotiations for a “just and lasting” peace are at a “crucial” stage and depend on Russia’s willingness to engage.
Ukrainian officials accompanying Zelenskyy included Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev, according to the Ukrainian delegation. EFE
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