(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, disagreed on a number of issues, including the possibility of a conflict in the lives of the Malab-ot people in Florida, as well as the possibility of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
After Zelensky met at his Mar-a-Lago estate and spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone earlier, Trump assured reporters that the negotiator is making significant progress.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in ending this war,” Trump said during a news conference. “We’ll see if it happens, but we’re definitely very close.”
Zelensky reiterated similar confidence, saying there was “90 percent agreement” on a recently proposed 20-point peace plan and that U.S.-backed security assurances for Ukraine were “100 percent agreed.”
Zelensky said on CBS News: “We agreed that security guarantees are a key milestone in achieving lasting peace, and our teams will continue to work on all aspects.”
Despite the encouraging talk, the most sensitive issue in the territory of Ukraine remains unresolved. Trump said there are one or two other “very difficult” issues to settle, notably the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine that Russia occupied during its full-scale 2022 invasion.
Trump said an agreement was allegedly close to being reached on a U.S.-backed plan to create a “free economic zone” in parts of the Donbas, which would require the removal of Ukrainian military personnel as part of a negotiated solution. Trump’s words: “I wouldn’t say we’ve reached a deal, but we’re getting closer to it, and it’s a big issue.” “There is no doubt that this is a serious problem that has not been solved.”
Zelensky’s proposal for a referendum on the basis of a plan for resolving the issue of Ukraine’s territorial status. He said, “Obviously, our society has to make the decision because it’s their land, not somebody’s.” “Passed down for many generations, this is our nation’s land.”
In terms of talks, Trump and Zelensky brought together European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has made ending the nearly four-year dispute a top priority, despite the fact that his policy has raised concerns in Europe. Russia stepped up its attacks on Kyiv days before the meeting in Florida, and the Ukrainian delegation reportedly expressed surprise at Trump’s decision to talk to Putin just before meeting Zelensky.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Putin as “productive” and “very good.” According to the Kremlin, Trump’s signing of a ceasefire “will only prolong the war” because Ukraine has territorial claims. Zelensky’s views on Russia were echoed by experts such as Oleksandr Kraiev of Ukrainian Prism.
