President Donald Trump used Sunday’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar‑a‑Lago to frame himself as the central architect of a potential peace deal, even as fighting continued in Ukraine and no formal cease-fire was agreed.
Speaking alongside Zelenskyy after a high-profile lunch and hours after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump repeatedly emphasized his rapport with Putin and his diplomatic efforts with European leaders. He described the call with Putin as “very productive” and characterized the Russian leader as “very serious” about peace. Trump also offered to speak directly to Ukraine’s parliament if Zelenskyy thought it necessary, signaling an eagerness to expand his personal involvement in negotiations.
“We’re 95% there,” Trump told reporters, summarizing progress toward a tentative 20‑point peace framework. Both sides agreed that senior members of their teams — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and adviser Jared Kushner — would continue discussions. Zelenskyy declined to identify members of Ukraine’s team for those future meetings.
Despite the optimism from Trump, Russia’s military operations continued. On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities reported drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas during the diplomatic engagement, resulting in casualties, widespread power outages and damage to infrastructure. The ongoing assaults highlighted the gap between the diplomatic narrative and the realities on the ground, underscoring that a cease-fire or concrete halt in hostilities remained far from agreed.
During the press conference, Zelenskyy offered measured remarks but remained largely quiet as Trump expanded on his perspective. At points, Trump interspersed reflections on the war with references to his past domestic grievances, including repeated mentions of the 2020 election “hoax” and the Russia investigation, framing himself as a central figure in both past and current global affairs.
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Trump also noted that his team had coordinated with European leaders to advance the peace talks, presenting himself as an indispensable mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. When asked about a cease-fire, he deferred to Putin, emphasizing that any halt in hostilities would be a Russian decision rather than one negotiated directly with Ukraine.
Analysts noted that while the 20-point framework and Trump’s “95%” characterization sounded promising, the lack of a formal cease-fire and ongoing attacks by Russia cast significant doubt on how close the two sides truly were to an agreement. The optics — Trump as talkative mediator, Zelenskyy as largely silent observer — reinforced the perception that the president was keen to claim credit for progress, even as substantive outcomes remained uncertain.
As both teams prepare for follow-on negotiations, the prospects for peace remain tentative, shaped as much by continued violence and geopolitical realities as by the personalities in the Florida room.
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