President Trump said he sees an opening for peace in Ukraine and suggested he would consider traveling to the country to help push an agreement forward, even raising the possibility of urging lawmakers there to accept territorial concessions to Russia. Speaking after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, Trump said peace is “closer than ever before.”
The comments followed a lengthy meeting and working lunch at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump and Zelensky reviewed possible pathways to ending a war Trump described as “the biggest war, certainly the deadliest war, since World War II,” now approaching its fourth year.
Asked at a press conference whether he would personally go to Ukraine to assist negotiations, Trump said, “I’d have no problem with doing it.” He added, “I don’t anticipate it. I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” but stressed that he had already offered to address Ukraine’s parliament if that step became necessary.
“I’ve offered to go and speak to their parliament,” Trump said, explaining that such a move could be relevant if Kyiv were asked to give up parts of the Donbas region.
Trump said Washington and Kyiv are largely aligned on Zelensky’s updated 20-point peace proposal, putting agreement at “95 percent,” while acknowledging that territory remains the hardest obstacle.
“There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues,” Trump said, singling out Donbas as an “issue they’re gonna have to iron out, but I think it’s moving in the right direction.”
He warned that delaying an agreement could worsen Ukraine’s position. “I think the land — you’re talking about — some of that land has been taken,” Trump said. “Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months — and you’re better off making a deal now.”
Zelensky, for his part, emphasized that he does not have unilateral authority to give up Ukrainian territory, noting that any such decision would require parliamentary approval or a national referendum.
“It’s their land,” Zelensky said, referring to the Ukrainian public. “The land, not of one person, it’s the land of our nation for a lot of generations.”
Russia’s position remains uncompromising. President Vladimir Putin has insisted Ukraine relinquish the remainder of Donbas, even though Russian forces have been unable to seize it outright since the war began.
Zelensky’s revised plan pares down an earlier 28-point U.S. framework that had been criticized as leaning too far toward Moscow. The new proposal centers on security guarantees from the United States, NATO, and European allies, protections for Ukrainian sovereignty, and a proposed non-aggression arrangement.
Security guarantees, Zelensky said, are the linchpin. “We discussed all the aspects of the peace framework, which includes the 20-point peace plan — 90% agreed, and U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees — 100% agreed. U.S.-Europe-Ukraine security guarantees — almost agreed. Military dimension — 100% agreed,” he said.
Trump said he expects Russia to participate in rebuilding Ukraine once fighting ends and claimed the Kremlin “wants Ukraine to succeed.” Zelensky appeared uneasy as Trump made the remark, offering no public response.
Ukrainian officials have tread carefully around Trump, wary of provoking him. During the press conference, Trump briefly alluded to the volatile Oval Office clash with Zelensky on Feb. 28, a moment that has made Kyiv cautious in its dealings with the president.
Trump framed the stakes starkly. “There’s nothing more important,” he said of ending the conflict. “I solved eight wars, and this is the most difficult one.”
He warned of catastrophic losses if fighting continues. “I think if this goes on, you’re gonna have millions of additional people will be killed, millions, and no one wants that,’’ Trump said.
According to a June 2025 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, roughly 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with total Russian casualties nearing 950,000 and another 50,000 missing. Zelensky said in January that about 400,000 Ukrainians have been killed or wounded, with 35,000 missing.
Despite his optimism, Trump declined to set a timeline for a deal.
Ahead of Sunday’s summit, Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine is “willing to do whatever it takes” to stop the war, even as Russian attacks intensified. Ukrainian officials said the country endured more than 2,100 drone strikes, nearly 800 guided bombs, and 94 missiles in the past week alone.
“Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war. For us, priority number one – or the only priority – is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. We need to be strong at the negotiating table,” Zelensky said.
Before meeting Zelensky, Trump spoke with Putin and described the call as “good and very productive.” When pressed on details, he deflected, saying only, “We didn’t talk about the weather.” Trump added that he plans to brief Putin after his talks with Zelensky.
Putin struck a far more pessimistic tone on the eve of the summit, signaling little interest in compromise. “If Ukraine does not want to resolve everything peacefully, Russia will resolve all its objectives by military means,” Putin said, according to a translation. Moscow’s demands include major territorial concessions, limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, and a ban on Western alliances.
After the Mar-a-Lago talks, Trump said he and Zelensky spoke by phone with several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also joined the discussions.
Trump said he expects to convene another round of talks with Ukraine and European partners next month.
Sunday’s meeting marked the first in-person talks between Trump and Zelensky since Oct. 17 and included senior U.S. officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. Also present were special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and senior adviser Stephen Miller.
{Matzav.com}
