President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emerged from a three-hour meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday expressing optimism that a peace agreement to end the nearly four-year war with Russia is within reach. Trump said the two sides had made "a lot of progress" and that "95 percent" of the peace framework had been completed, though he acknowledged that significant obstacles remain.

"We could be very close to a deal. There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues. But I think we're doing very well," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference following the meeting.

Zelensky, standing beside Trump at the entrance to the Florida estate, said the 20-point peace plan under negotiation was "90 percent agreed" and that security guarantees between the United States and Ukraine were "100 percent" settled. He described the meeting as "excellent" and said Ukraine "is ready for peace."

The Sunday meeting was the first in-person encounter between the two leaders since October, when Trump declined Zelensky's request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

What was agreed

According to both leaders, negotiators reached full agreement on several key elements of the peace framework. Zelensky said the "military dimension" of the plan was "100 percent agreed," while security guarantees involving European nations were "almost" finalized.

Under Zelensky's 20-point proposal, Ukraine would receive security guarantees from both the United States and Europe. The plan would allow Ukraine to join the European Union at a specific date in the future and would permit the country to maintain its armed forces at current levels of 800,000 troops.

The framework calls for fighting in the Donetsk region to halt at current battle lines, with Ukrainian and Russian forces withdrawing to create a demilitarized zone overseen by international forces. Similar joint withdrawals would occur in Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, while Russia would withdraw from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv.

Zelensky's plan also calls for Ukraine to receive $800 billion in aid to rebuild its infrastructure and economy after the war. The Ukrainian leader said Sunday that this economic component is "being finalized."

Following their bilateral meeting, Trump and Zelensky held a phone call with European leaders. Trump said the European nations are "very much involved" and are "very much in line with this meeting and getting a deal done."

Land remains the major sticking point

Despite the progress reported by both sides, territorial disputes continue to present the most significant barrier to a final agreement. Trump identified land as the primary unresolved issue.

"The land you're talking about — some of that land has been taken. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months," Trump said. "And you're better off making a deal now."

Russia currently controls approximately 90 percent of the Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Ukraine holds the remaining 10 percent. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine relinquish all remaining territory in the regions Moscow has annexed, a condition Kyiv has rejected.

Zelensky confirmed that the two leaders did not reach agreement on what would happen to the Donbas region. He reiterated his position that any territorial concessions would require approval from the Ukrainian people through a national referendum.

"We respect the territory which we control. And of course, our attitude is very clear," Zelensky said. He added that the land in question belongs to Ukrainians collectively — "it's their land, the land, not of one person."

Moscow has urged Kyiv to make a "bold decision" on the Donbas, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Russia and the United States have reportedly indicated they would reject a simple ceasefire without a broader political settlement.

Trump's conversations with Putin

Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone prior to his meeting with Zelensky, describing the call as "good and very productive." He indicated he planned to call Putin again Sunday evening.

"I believe Ukraine has made some very strong attacks also, and I don't say that negatively. I think you probably have to," Trump said when asked about Russian military operations during the peace talks.

When pressed on whether Putin was committed to peace despite Russia launching more than 2,100 drones, 800 guided aerial bombs and 94 missiles at Ukraine in the week leading up to Sunday's meeting, Trump said the Russian leader was "very serious" about ending the war.

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who spent three days meeting with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami last week, described Sunday as "an important day on the path to peace." Dmitriev has played a key role in back-channel communications between Washington and Moscow since helping secure the release of an American teacher from a Russian prison earlier this year.

Next steps in negotiations

Trump said a final deal remains "a few weeks" off and that he has not set a deadline for reaching an agreement. Both leaders announced that U.S. and Ukrainian delegations would meet again next week to finalize the issues discussed Sunday.

Trump also said he would host Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House in January.

The American president offered to travel to Ukraine and address the country's parliament if it would help advance the peace process.

"I'm not sure that it would be really necessary, but if it would help save 25,000 lives a month, or whatever it may be, I would certainly be willing to do that," Trump said.

Zelensky responded that Trump would be "welcome" to speak to the Ukrainian parliament.

The U.S. delegation at Sunday's meeting included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Witkoff and Kushner have led many of the administration's peace negotiations throughout 2025.

The Ukrainian side included National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna.

In a post on X following the meeting, Zelensky thanked Trump "for a great meeting" and said the two countries "must — and can — implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace."

Trump warned that if negotiations fail this time, the conflict could continue "for a long time." He said the parties are in the "final stages" of talks but cautioned that a completed agreement is "not a one-day issue."