Meeting between Trump and Zelensky with out concrete outcomes | EUROtoday

US President Donald Trump’s extremely anticipated assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida has ended with none tangible outcomes. “We are getting much closer (to an agreement), maybe even very close,” the US president stated on Sunday at a joint press convention with Zelensky at his personal residence at Mar-a-Lago. According to the Ukrainian president, the plan to finish the Russian conflict of aggression has been “90 percent” accepted.

Asked when a deal to finish the Ukraine conflict could be potential, Trump stated: “If things go really well, maybe in a few weeks. And if things go worse, longer. And if things go really badly, then it won’t happen.”

As a key participant in ending the conflict of aggression in opposition to Ukraine, Russia was not concerned within the negotiations. Trump did make a cellphone name earlier than his assembly with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, however there was no noticeable progress towards peace. Putin had beforehand publicly acknowledged that Moscow may obtain its conflict objectives on the battlefield if Zelensky rejected Moscow’s calls for, for instance for ceding territory within the Donbass – particularly within the Donetsk space.

Zelenskyj spoke of an excellent assembly with Trump. The Ukrainian will need to have as soon as once more made it clear that his nation is able to defending and reconquering territory. He can depend on billions in assist from the EU states. He categorically rejects a capitulation and a dictated peace by Moscow.

Zelensky stated after the assembly: “We have agreed that our teams will meet in the coming weeks to finalize all the matters discussed.” In January there might be a gathering in Washington with Trump, the Ukrainians and Europeans, he introduced. The assembly in Miami adopted earlier negotiations in Geneva and Berlin. The Ukrainian has additionally been to the White House a number of occasions this 12 months.

The bilateral assembly at Trump’s personal membership Mar-a-Lago passed off with out Russia. Trump known as his cellphone name with Putin “good and very productive.” When requested concerning the content material, Trump, who many critics accuse of being near Russia, stated: “Russia wants Ukraine to be successful.” Zelenskyj was visibly shocked by this evaluation. Russia attacked the neighboring nation in February 2022. Since then, Ukraine has been defending itself in opposition to the invasion with Western assist.

Above all, one key level for a future peace settlement stays unclear – particularly Russia’s demand for Ukraine to cede territory within the Donetsk area. It’s concerning the areas there that Kiev has to date managed and that Moscow has not been in a position to conquer, however has claimed. Zelensky had at all times refused to surrender 30 % of territory in trade for a Moscow-dictated peace settlement.

Trump, who had beforehand known as on Ukraine to surrender territory, spoke of a “difficult question”. This level was in all probability additionally mentioned in his dialog with Putin. Putin insists that Zelensky withdraw troops from Donetsk for peace.

As a compromise, Russia is at finest keen to permit the National Guard and the police to take management of the world as an alternative of troopers. However, the Russian National Guard can be organized militarily. Putin’s overseas coverage advisor Yuri Ushakov stated after the dialog between the Kremlin chief and Trump that Ukraine should make accountable selections.

According to Ushakov, Putin as soon as once more made it clear within the cellphone name, which lasted one hour and quarter-hour, that the agreements mentioned with Trump in August in Anchorage, Alaska, nonetheless apply to him. Putin had agreed to just accept Trump’s 28-point plan as a foundation for negotiations. However, a 20-point plan that Zelenskyj offered on Christmas Eve after negotiations with the US and Europeans was rejected in Moscow.

A working group will now be set as much as remedy additional questions and can start its work initially of January. The US aspect consists of Trump’s negotiator Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chief of Staff Dan Caine.

What was putting was that neither Trump nor Zelensky spoke about concrete details about potential progress. The US President as soon as once more emphasised that he believed that an finish to the conflict might be caused. But he additionally stated it wasn’t a deal that might be agreed on in a day. He was conspicuously holding again. For Zelenskyj, safety ensures for Ukraine are notably essential in order that the nation is protected against future Russian assaults within the occasion of a ceasefire. The Ukrainian stated that there was an settlement right here. There was no affirmation of this.

Zelenskyj and Trump additionally spoke through video hyperlink with a number of European heads of state and authorities, together with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. The German politician wrote to X afterwards that it had been an excellent, hour-long dialog. “Good progress has been made which we welcome.”

Europe is able to proceed working with Ukraine and the USA to consolidate this progress. “Unchangeable security guarantees are essential right from the start,” emphasised von der Leyen. The background is the Ukrainian demand that the USA, as a protecting energy, defend Ukraine from future Russian assaults after a ceasefire.

Before the beginning of the talks with the Ukrainians, the US President promised that he would converse to Putin once more after the assembly. It remained unclear when this cellphone name would happen.

Before the assembly, Zelenskyj had written on X that Russia was displaying with its day by day air strikes that it had no real interest in a peace settlement. This week alone, Russia fired greater than 2,100 assault drones, round 800 glide bombs and 94 missiles. “Everything against our people, against life and everything that makes it normal – especially against our energy infrastructure.” He known as on his nation’s Western companions to keep up all sanctions and political strain in opposition to Russia.