Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet in Florida on Sunday to negotiate a plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, despite major differences over key issues and continued Russian attacks.
Russia struck Kyiv and other regions across Ukraine on Saturday with hundreds of missiles and drones, causing power and heating outages in parts of the capital. Zelenskiy described the attacks as Russia’s response to ongoing U.S.-brokered peace efforts.
Zelenskiy is expected to discuss the fate of the contested Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and other topics during the meeting at Trump’s Florida residence. The Ukrainian president and his delegation arrived late Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya said on X.
“Good evening, Florida!” Kyslytsya wrote, posting a photo of an aircraft bearing Trump’s name on the fuselage.
Good evening Florida! pic.twitter.com/u80obRknFQ
— Sergiy Kyslytsya 🇺🇦 (@SergiyKyslytsya) December 27, 2025
The meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), comes after weeks of diplomatic negotiations. European allies, sometimes left out of the discussions, have stepped up efforts to outline a post-war security guarantee for Kyiv with U.S. support. Zelenskiy said he will consult with European leaders again after his meeting with Trump.
Territorial Disputes Remain Sticking Point
Kyiv and Washington have reportedly agreed on much of the 20-point peace plan, which Zelenskiy said was 90% complete on Friday. However, the fate of the Donbas region remains unresolved.
Moscow insists on full control of the Donbas, while Kyiv wants to freeze the map at current battle lines. Russian officials have raised objections to parts of the U.S. proposal, casting doubt on whether President Vladimir Putin would accept any agreement produced by Sunday’s talks.
Zelenskiy told Axios that he still hopes to soften a U.S. proposal calling for a complete Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas. Failing that, he suggested the entire 20-point plan should be put to a referendum vote. The U.S. has proposed creating a free economic zone if Ukraine withdraws from the area, though details of how it would function remain unclear.
