Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to travel to the United States for a high-stakes meeting with former President Donald Trump in the coming days. This move comes as Washington ramps up its efforts to broker a potential peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow, following a recent flurry of diplomatic contacts.
Diplomatic Flurry Precedes High-Level Summit
Zelenskyy announced the planned summit on Friday via a social media post. He stated he had been briefed by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, on new contacts with American officials. "We are not losing a single day," Zelenskyy declared. "We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future." He added that significant decisions could be made before the New Year.
While Washington has not officially confirmed the details, reports from Axios journalist Barak Ravid on X suggest the meeting is scheduled for Sunday at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. This anticipated encounter follows a weekend of diplomatic activity in Miami, where Trump's peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, held separate discussions with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Putin's Stance and Ukraine's Counteroffensive
US officials have characterised the preliminary talks as "constructive," but Moscow has tempered expectations of imminent progress. There are few indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to soften his hardline demands for ending the full-scale invasion. At a closed-door meeting with Russian business leaders on Wednesday, Putin reportedly reiterated his requirement for Ukraine to cede the entire eastern Donbas region in any peace settlement.
According to the well-connected Russian newspaper Kommersant, Putin also hinted at a potential limited territorial exchange. This could involve Moscow swapping small areas it occupies in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Zelenskyy has previously indicated a willingness to withdraw "heavy forces" from parts of Donbas under Ukrainian control, but only if Russia reciprocates as part of a US-backed plan to establish a "free economic zone" in the area.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have recently achieved a tactical success, pushing Russian troops out of the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region. This rare counteroffensive action challenges Putin's persistent claims of controlling the area, even as Moscow asserts it is prepared to continue fighting to achieve its objectives militarily.
Ongoing Dialogue and Maximalist Demands
The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, held a call with the US administration after Moscow received an updated American proposal on a potential peace deal. However, there were no signals of a breakthrough. Russia continues to insist it is confident in its ability to secure its war aims through force if no diplomatic solution is found.
The upcoming meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump represents a critical juncture in the complex diplomatic manoeuvring surrounding the war. With the US stepping up its push for a resolution and battlefield dynamics shifting, the coming days could prove pivotal for the future of Ukraine.
