The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans
to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday as diplomatic efforts
intensify to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Zelensky said the talks are expected to focus on a
U.S.-brokered 20-point peace plan, which he said is about 90% complete, as well
as separate proposals for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine. “Our task is to
make sure everything is 100% ready,” Zelensky told reporters on Friday.
In a social media post, Zelensky said the two sides had
agreed on a high-level meeting in the near future, adding that “a lot can be
decided before the new year.”
However, sharp differences remain between Kyiv and Moscow. A
senior Russian official said the U.S.-backed plan under discussion with Ukraine
was “radically different” from the proposal Russia is negotiating with
Washington. While Moscow has spoken of “slow but steady progress” in talks, it
has not commented on Zelensky’s suggestion that Ukraine could withdraw troops
from parts of eastern Donbas if Russia also pulls back.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought firm security guarantees from
the United States as part of any settlement. Zelensky has also floated the idea
of establishing a demilitarized “free economic zone” in areas of Donbas that
Russian forces have failed to seize.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s senior aides
have continued discussions with U.S. officials, including follow-up phone calls
after Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev returned from talks in Florida last
weekend.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov expressed
cautious optimism about the diplomatic track but accused Ukraine of attempting
to undermine negotiations. Speaking to Russian state television, Ryabkov said
Dec. 25, 2025, could be remembered as a moment when the sides came close to a
solution, while stressing that any final agreement would depend on political
will.
The diplomatic developments came as fighting continued on
the ground. Shortly after news of Zelensky’s planned visit to Florida emerged,
the mayor of Kharkiv said a Russian air strike killed at least two people and
wounded several others in the northeastern Ukrainian city.
