BREAKTHROUGH IN UKRAINE PEACE TALKS: Zelenskyy and Trump Make ‘Great Achievements’ at Mar-a-Lago Meeting, But ‘Thorny Issues’ Remain
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump meet at Mar-a-Lago to discuss 20-point plan to end war with Russia
- Security guarantee between US and Ukraine ‘100 per cent agreed’, but Trump warns of ‘thorny issues’ still to be resolved
- Trump reveals some land in Ukraine may be ‘up for grabs’ as part of peace process, sparking fears of further conflict
In a dramatic breakthrough in the Ukraine peace talks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump have made ‘great achievements’ at their meeting at Mar-a-Lago, with a security guarantee between the two countries ‘100 per cent agreed’. However, Trump warned that there were still ‘thorny issues’ to be resolved, sparking fears that the fragile peace process could yet fall apart.
Speaking after the meeting, Zelenskyy told reporters that the security guarantee was a ‘key milestone’ in achieving lasting peace, but Trump revealed that some land in Ukraine may be ‘up for grabs’ as part of the peace process. The US leader warned that Ukraine should look to make a land deal before it lost more territory in the future.
‘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, and you’re better off making a deal now,’ Trump said. ‘Look, let me tell you, they have been very brave. They’ve fought very hard and continue to fight very hard.’
The meeting came as Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, with hundreds of missiles and drones striking the eastern city of Sloviansk, killing one person and injuring three. The attack was widely condemned, with Zelenskyy describing it as a ‘barbaric’ act.
Despite the challenges ahead, Trump said he still believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ‘very serious’ about ending the war. ‘I think he’s very serious, and I think Ukraine has also made some very strong attacks,’ Trump said. ‘And I don’t say that negatively. I think, you probably have to.’
However, Trump also warned that the peace negotiations could yet fall apart. ‘In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other, I think,’ he said. ‘But it could also go poorly.’
The meeting at Mar-a-Lago was seen as a crucial step in the peace process, with Trump and Zelenskyy set to meet with European counterparts in the coming weeks to finalise the details of the peace plan. The establishment of a ‘special economic zone’ in the Donbas region is also being discussed, although Trump revealed that this aspect of the talks was still unresolved.
As the world waits with bated breath for the outcome of the peace talks, one thing is clear: the stakes are higher than ever, and the consequences of failure could be catastrophic.