LONDON — Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s “peace efforts” after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the White Home on Sunday to debate a doable peace deal to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation.
“The entire world appreciates President Trump and his staff’s peace efforts,” Dmitriev, who additionally serves because the CEO of the Russian Direct Funding Fund and has been carefully concerned in negotiations with U.S. representatives, mentioned in a put up to X.
Dmitriev additionally posted criticism of what he referred to as “UK/EU warmongers” for his or her continued backing of Ukraine, echoing the established Kremlin narrative that seeks to border U.S. diplomatic efforts as being undermined by NATO and European allies.
Trump and Zelenskyy met on the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Seashore, Florida, on Sunday.
Earlier than the assembly, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by cellphone, in accordance with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The decision was “organized on the initiative of Trump,” Ushakov mentioned, as quoted by Russia’s state-run Tass information company.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump finish their press convention at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago membership, in Palm Seashore, Fla., December 28, 2025
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
After his assembly with Zelenskyy, Trump informed reporters that the negotiating groups are “getting rather a lot nearer, possibly very shut” to attaining a peace deal to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion, which Moscow launched in February 2022.
“We had a terrific assembly. We mentioned plenty of issues. As you already know, I had a superb cellphone name with President Putin that lasted for over two hours. We mentioned plenty of factors, and I do assume we’re getting rather a lot nearer,” Trump mentioned.
The president mentioned the 2 leaders coated “95%” of the problems wanted to finish the warfare. Trump then detailed a name with European leaders after his bilateral assembly with Zelenskyy, indicating that it went properly.
The thorniest negotiating points nonetheless appeared unsettled following the White Home assembly. Each Trump and Zelenskyy mentioned the query of Ukrainian territorial concessions — particularly relating to the japanese Donbas area — was but to be agreed upon.
Russia needs Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the whole thing of the Donbas — which is fashioned of Donetsk and Luhansk areas — in alternate for a peace deal. Zelenskyy has as an alternative proposed a “demilitarized zone” masking the realm.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Seashore, Fla., December 28, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Trump additionally once more dismissed the concept of a direct ceasefire to facilitate subsequent peace negotiations, which Ukraine has repeatedly proposed. As an alternative, Trump indicated sympathy with Putin’s demand for a full peace deal earlier than any halt to the preventing.
“He feels that look, you already know, they’re preventing and to cease after which, if they’ve to start out once more, which is a risk, he would not wish to be in that place,” Trump mentioned of Putin. “I perceive that place.”
Zelenskyy nonetheless gave a constructive readout of his White Home go to in subsequent posts to social media.
“Thanks to President Trump and his staff for the negotiations,” he wrote on Telegram. “Thanks to the US for his or her help. Collectively, we have now and might implement our imaginative and prescient of a sequence of steps in direction of peace.”
Zelenskyy described the talks as “a beautiful assembly,” which included “a significant dialogue on all points and extremely recognize the progress made by the Ukrainian and American groups over the previous few weeks.”
Explosions are seen within the night time sky as Ukrainian servicemen fireplace in direction of drones throughout a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 27, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Zelenskyy additionally thanked presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who’ve been fronting the White Home’s current shuttle diplomacy.
“We mentioned all features of the peace framework and achieved vital outcomes. We additionally mentioned the sequence of additional actions,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“We agree that safety ensures are key to attaining lasting peace, and our groups will proceed to work on all features. We agreed that our groups will meet subsequent week to finalize all mentioned points,” he added.
Trump, Zelenskyy mentioned, agreed to host Ukrainian and European leaders in Washington, D.C., in January for additional talks. “Ukraine is prepared for peace,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Trump mentioned if issues go “very well,” a peace settlement may very well be reached in “a number of weeks.” It is also doable {that a} breakthrough by no means comes.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, international coverage aide Yuri Ushakov, President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attend a gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Dec. 2, 2025.
Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik by way of Reuters
“However you already know, in a number of weeks we’ll know somehow,” Trump mentioned, including, “It has been a really tough negotiation.”
On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Putin and Trump will converse over the cellphone once more “within the very close to future.” Peskov mentioned the Kremlin didn’t but know the result of the Sunday talks in Florida, however mentioned Moscow agrees with Trump’s assertion that peace is “considerably nearer.”
As to a doable name between Putin and Zelenskyy, Peskov mentioned, “There is no such thing as a speak of such a dialog right now.”
Responding to questions from journalists whereas touring again from Florida on Monday, Zelenskyy gave extra particulars on the continuing peace talks.
Requested by ABC Information whether or not Ukraine has a plan B, Zelenskyy mentioned, “Ukraine has at all times had plan A, which is peace.”
“We by no means wished warfare. And in Russia plan A was the warfare. Subsequently, in my view, Russia ought to already take into consideration plan B, about ending the warfare,” he continued.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Halifax, Canada, on, Dec. 27, 2025.
Riley Smith/AP
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned he was open to a cellphone name with Putin, in addition to “any choices” that may assist finish the warfare.
Talks are ongoing as to U.S. safety ensures for Ukraine, Zelenskyy mentioned. The present time period of the proposed assure is 15 years with the potential of extension, he added. Kyiv is pushing to increase that time period to 30 to 40 years, Zelenskyy mentioned.
Kyiv and Moscow continued their alternate of nightly long-range strikes in a single day into Monday, although their scale was considerably muted in contrast with main assaults in current days.
Ukraine’s air power mentioned Russia launched 25 drones into the nation in a single day, of which 21 had been shot down or suppressed. 4 drones impacted at two places, the air power mentioned.
Sunday night time’s assault was the smallest because the one launched on the night time of June 27 to twenty-eight, in accordance with air power knowledge analyzed by ABC Information.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press convention in Moscow, December 19, 2025.
Alexander Nemenov/Pool by way of Reuters
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, mentioned it downed at the very least 112 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Flight restrictions had been launched at airports in Krasnodar, Kaluga and Pskov through the in a single day assaults, mentioned Russia’s federal air transport company, Rosaviatsiya.
ABC Information’ Natalya Kushnir, Nataliia Popova, Yulia Drozd and Somayeh Malekian contributed to this report.
