Sunday’s talks between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky could pave the way for the first phone call between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than five years, a source familiar with the discussions said.
And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was presented as a step forward in the peace efforts with Trump at the helm, the source also described how securing a direct Zelenskyy-Putin phone call would be a “diplomatic victory” for the president.
“This would be [a] diplomatic victory for President Trump.”
FINISH PRESIDENT SAYS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL CLOSER THAN ANY POINT DURING THE WAR
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses reporters after signing a proclamation in the Oval Office of the White House on April 17, 2025 in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“Trump seems to be the most successful mediator because Putin and Zelenskyy perceive each other emotionally, and that is a challenge.”
Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Putin ahead of the Zelenskyy meeting, calling the conversation “good and very productive” in a Truth Social post.
“I do believe we have a deal,” Trump also told reporters as he stood next to Zelenskyy after arriving in Florida on Sunday, adding that he believes the process “can move very quickly.”
“I think we’re in the final stages of talks, and we’ll see,” Trump said.
“Otherwise it will continue for a long time. It will either end or it will continue for a long time, and millions more people will be killed,” the president added.
The meeting in Florida came days after Zelenskyy also said he had a “good conversation” with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whom were also present on Sunday.
ZELENSKYY SAYS HE WILL MEET TRUMP ‘BEFORE THE NEW YEAR’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and European leaders pose for a photo during talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, December 15, 2025. (Lisi Niesner/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
As Zelenskyy approached Sunday’s meeting, the source said the Ukrainian leader was likely feeling anxious.
“Zelenskyy is usually very nervous about such conversations with President Trump,” the source said. “He concentrates for a long time and studies the notes that the International Policy Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepare for him.”
Sunday also marked the third in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump returned to office.
At the center of the discussions was a 20-point US-backed peace plan that emerged from weeks of negotiations and required compromises from Kiev and Moscow to engage and perhaps speak directly to Zelensky, the source said.
TRUMP PROPOSES HE WILL MAKE FINAL SHOTS ON PEACE DEAL BEFORE ZELENSKYY MEETING: ‘WE’LL SEE WHAT HE’S GOT’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on August 19, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The only problem they have is that Putin has refused to talk to Zelensky since July 2020, when they talked about the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to detain Russian Wagner militants.”
“After that, Zelensky repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused.”
“There were opportunities for talks in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region,” the source said.
The last direct contact between the two leaders followed a failed Ukrainian operation targeting Russian Wagner mercenaries.
Ukrainian intelligence lured the mercenaries to Belarus and planned to intercept them on their way from Minsk to Istanbul before the men were arrested. The Kiev Independent.
ZELENSKYY IS READY TO PRESENT NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO THE US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING WITH EUROPEAN CONSULTATIONS
Putin is testing NATO’s limits with plane raids, allied states say. (Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/Reuters)
“That last phone call between Zelensky and Putin came when Ukraine was trying to capture a group of Russian Wagner fighters,” the source said. “The operation failed.”
Even before communications were completely cut off, relations between the two leaders were tense, the source said.
“Before that point in 2020, conversations between Zelenskyy and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During conversations, Putin was always silent, and Zelenskyy tried to build a bond.”
“Zelenskyy always behaved submissively towards Putin and pretended to be in a good mood, almost as if he was playing a role on stage,” the source explained.
“He talked a lot and read from his notes, afraid of forgetting something. Sometimes he stumbled over his words or lost track of punctuation.”
Putin calls Trump’s peace plan a ‘starting point’ as he warns Ukraine to withdraw or face ‘force’
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say is about 90% complete, could include a limited withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of eastern Ukraine. (Putin photo: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters; Zelenskyy photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
“When Putin was silent, Zelensky always asked politely: ‘What do you think, Vladimir Vladimirovich?’”
“Putin was just never talkative,” the source said.
The talks in Florida came as Kiev signaled a possible shift in its negotiating position. Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say is about 90% complete, could include a limited withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of eastern Ukraine without formally recognizing Russian control, along with the creation of demilitarized zones.
He also suggested putting the plan to a national referendum if Moscow agrees to a 60-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy has drawn a firm line on security guarantees, insisting that Ukraine needs legally binding guarantees from the US to deter future Russian aggression.
TRUMP praises ‘progress’ in Ukraine-Russia deal, admits it’s ‘one of the more difficult’ conflicts to resolve
Rescue workers work at the site of a building damaged by a Russian attack in Kiev, Ukraine, on Saturday, December 27, 2025. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
“For us it is very important that there is a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees,” Zelensky told Ukrainian journalists on Saturday. “This depends primarily on President Trump,” he added.
“Ukraine is ready to do whatever it takes to stop this war,” Zelenskyy also wrote on X this weekend.
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“For us, priority number one – or the only priority – is ending the war. For us, peace is the priority. We must be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: Europe and the United States.”
