Trump says Ukraine peace deal ‘closer than ever’ after meeting with Zelenskyy in Florida

US president said ‘thorny’ questions over territory have yet to be resolved and expressed sympathy with Russia not wanting a ceasefire

President Donald Trump listens as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. Picture: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war in Ukraineis “closer than ever” but has admitted that “thorny” questions over the future of the eastern Donbas region have yet to be resolved, after a two-hour meeting on Sunday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

Mr Trump said a draft agreement to end the war was nearly “95% done”. “I really think we are closer than ever with both sides,” he said, adding that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, also wants to “see it happen”.