Zelenskiy, European leaders welcome progress on Ukraine peace negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and several European leaders took to social media on Sunday, December 28, to thank U.S. President Donald Trump and highlight progress in peace negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said he and Trump had made significant strides in their discussions and agreed that U.S. and Ukrainian teams would meet next week to finalize outstanding issues.

Both Trump and Zelenskiy emphasized that the future of the Donbas region remains unsettled. “It’s unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer. That’s a very tough issue,” Trump said.

Just before Zelenskiy and his delegation arrived at Trump’s Florida residence on Sunday afternoon, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call described as “productive” by the U.S. president and “friendly” by Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.

Speaking from Moscow, Ushakov said Putin told Trump that a 60-day ceasefire proposed by the European Union and Ukraine could prolong the war. He added that Ukraine must make a decision regarding the Donbas “without further delay.” Ushakov also noted that the Russian government had agreed to establish working groups to address the conflict, focusing on economic and security concerns. SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE/Reuters