Washington, Dec 29 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that both Russia and Ukraine want the war between them to end, as negotiations aimed at reaching a peace agreement moved closer to completion following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“Russia wants it ended, everybody wants it ended,” Trump told reporters after the talks. “And we want it ended. I want it ended because I don’t want to see so many people dying.”
Trump said discussions with Zelensky covered nearly all major issues and were part of a broader diplomatic effort that included recent conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and European leaders.
“We’ve had discussions on just about every subject,” Trump said. “We went into great detail today.”
He described a phone call with Putin earlier in the day that lasted more than 2 hours and said the Russian leader was open to resolving the conflict. “He wants to see it happen,” Trump said, adding that he believed Putin was serious about ending the war.
Zelensky said talks at Mar-a-Lago were built on months of negotiations held across several locations, including Geneva, Miami, and Berlin. “Our teams work not one day, not one week, more than one month,” he said.
Security guarantees dominated the discussion, Zelensky said, calling them central to lasting peace. “We agreed that security guarantees is a key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” he said.
Trump said Europe would play a major role in providing those guarantees, with US support. “We wanna work with Europe,” he said. “They’re right there.”
Asked about unresolved issues, Trump pointed to territorial disputes. “Some of that land has been taken,” he said. “Some of that land is maybe up for grabs.”
Zelensky said Ukraine’s position on territory was unchanged. “We respect the territory which we control,” he said, stressing that any major decision would require democratic approval. “If the plan will be very difficult for our society, very difficult, of course our society has to choose.”
Trump said a referendum or parliamentary approval would likely be necessary. “They’ll probably have to get their plan approved by parliament or by referendum of the people,” he said.
The leaders also discussed the status of Ukraine’s nuclear power infrastructure. Trump said the largest nuclear plant in the region could restart quickly and that Russia had avoided targeting it. “He hasn’t hit it with missiles,” Trump said of Putin. “That’s a big step.”
Trump said Russia would also play a role in rebuilding Ukraine. “Russia’s gonna be helping,” he said. “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.”
Asked about a possible ceasefire, Trump said one had not yet been agreed. “Not a ceasefire,” he said. “That’s one of the points that we’re working on right now.”
Zelensky said logistical challenges, including refugee participation, would complicate any referendum process. “It’s not simple,” he said, noting the need to build voting infrastructure across Europe.
Trump said he remained optimistic but realistic. “If it went really well, maybe in a few weeks,” he said of a potential deal. “If it went really poorly, it’s not gonna happen.”
He warned that failure would mean continued bloodshed. “They keep fighting, and they keep dying,” Trump said. “No good.”
As the event concluded, Trump thanked reporters and joked about lunch at Mar-a-Lago. “I hope you enjoyed it,” he said, as Zelensky smiled.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and reshaped global geopolitics, drawing in NATO, Russia, and key regional actors. The United States has played a central diplomatic and military role throughout the conflict.
Efforts to broker peace have repeatedly faltered, making the latest talks a critical test of whether sustained diplomacy can finally halt Europe’s most devastating war in decades.
–IANS
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