Much Talk, Little Outcome: Peace Efforts Yield No Breakthrough on Ukraine

December 29, 2025
NOVITIATE

US President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted the idea of a ceasefire during a possible Ukrainian referendum on a proposed peace plan. Trump made the comments at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following their meeting, after Trump had spoken by phone with Putin in advance.

Asked directly whether Putin had agreed to halt the fighting during a referendum, Trump replied that there was no such agreement. He explained that Putin’s position was based on concerns that stopping hostilities and then potentially resuming them could put Russia at a disadvantage. Trump said he understood that logic but added that discussions were ongoing on how to address the issue.

Trump also claimed that, if the war ends, Russia would take part in Ukraine’s reconstruction. He said Moscow supposedly wants to see Ukraine succeed, although he acknowledged that this might sound contradictory. At the same time, Trump complained that unnamed “bad people” had spread false narratives that, in his view, had obstructed efforts by Washington and Moscow to reach agreements.

Earlier, on 23 December, Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing a 20 point peace plan that could either be approved by parliament or put to a nationwide referendum. He noted that such a referendum would require at least 60 days and would only be possible under a full ceasefire during that period. On 28 December, Zelensky and Trump met in Florida and later held a video conference with European leaders. Trump said ahead of that meeting that he had a “good and very productive” conversation with Putin. Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, later stated that both leaders had agreed a temporary ceasefire under the pretext of a referendum would only prolong the conflict.

European leaders responded positively to the Florida talks and the subsequent video call. According to statements cited by Interfax Ukraine, they stressed the importance of joint efforts to secure a just and lasting peace and to keep pressure on Russia. The video conference followed closed door talks between Ukrainian and US delegations at Trump’s Mar a Lago residence.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed that the call included French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Stubb said the discussion lasted more than an hour and focused on concrete steps to end the war.

Polish President Nawrocki underlined strong US engagement in the peace process and highlighted Poland’s role, noting that Rzeszów Jasionka airport has handled more than 90 percent of aid deliveries to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion. He said Poland’s position would be crucial in any peace agreement and stressed that regional security decisions must involve all stakeholders. According to his statement, US determination combined with European unity offered a real chance to end the war.

Von der Leyen also described the talks as productive and said significant progress had been made. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin welcomed what he called progress in the peace discussions and said he hoped it would soon lead to a ceasefire. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said positive signals from Washington must now be matched by concrete steps from Moscow, adding that the Netherlands would continue supporting Ukraine.

European foreign ministers echoed these messages. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke van der Linde spoke about next steps in the talks and stressed the need to further increase pressure on Russia. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský described the outcome of the Zelensky Trump meeting as optimistic, saying Ukraine wants peace and that Russia must be pushed towards it through sanctions and a strong Ukrainian defence.

In a separate statement, von der Leyen said a one hour call with Trump, Zelensky and several European leaders had produced “good progress”. She added that Europe was ready to continue working with Ukraine and the United States to build on these results, stressing that strong security guarantees from the very beginning were essential.

Trump and Zelensky also outlined how work on the peace plan would continue. Trump said the US working group would include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and others. Zelensky said the Ukrainian team would involve National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umierov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov. Zelensky said he hoped decisions on six key documents could be reached in January. Trump added that these groups would also engage with Russia, saying talks limited to one side would not solve the conflict.

When asked about timelines, Trump said a deal could take a few weeks if progress was smooth, but warned that talks could also collapse over unresolved issues. Zelensky said the teams would meet again in the coming weeks and that Trump had agreed to host further talks in Washington in January.

Trump also addressed the possibility of visiting Ukraine. He said there were no immediate plans but he would be willing to go if it helped secure peace. While he did not see such a visit as necessary at this stage, he said he would consider it if it could help save lives. Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had invited Trump to address parliament.

The talks did not resolve the issue of Donbas. Trump said progress was being made but acknowledged it remained a major obstacle. He said Russia continued to demand the entire region and that this would need to be worked out, adding he believed the issue could be resolved in the coming months. Zelensky described Donbas as a very difficult matter, stressing Ukraine’s legal position and respect for the territory it controls. He said a referendum was one possible mechanism, alongside a parliamentary vote, depending on legal requirements.

Zelensky later said that Ukraine and the United States had finalised several documents within the broader peace package. He said the 20 point plan was about 90 percent agreed, US Ukraine security guarantees were fully agreed, US Europe Ukraine guarantees were close to completion, and the military dimension was settled. He added that work was continuing on a prosperity plan and on sequencing the next steps. Both leaders agreed that security guarantees were central to achieving lasting peace and confirmed that negotiations would continue.

Thorny questions remain despite positive meeting reports from Trump and Zelensky

Issued on: 29/12/2025 -FRANCE24


US President Donald Turmp and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky both reported progress on two of the most contentious issues regarding a peace deal in Ukraine: security guarantees for the country and the division of the eastern Donbas region, which Russia is trying to capture. But thorny questions remain. David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief for The Guardian, told us more.

'It's insane': Expert makes stunning claim about Trump's chat with Zelenskyy

Robert Davis
December 28, 2025 

RAW STORY

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Erns

A military expert revealed on Sunday that President Donald Trump is taking an "insane" approach to ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump held another round of peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, where the two leaders discussed the current 20-point peace plan that is on the table. Ahead of Trump's chat with Zelenskyy, the president said he had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a night of heavy bombing by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians.

Tom Nichols, a staff writer for The Atlantic, said in an interview on MS NOW's "Alex Witt Reports" that Trump appears to be trying to play the intermediary between Putin and Zelenskyy, a strategy that he said shows either that Trump doesn't understand the conflict or that he is lying about his efforts to end it.


"From the point of diplomatic practice, it's insane," Nicols said. You don't check in with the aggressor when you're talking to a putative friend and ally, and you don't report in afterwards. You talk with your friends, with your allies, with Ukraine, and then you tell the Russians, 'Here's the offer. Here's what you need to do.'"

"And instead, it's almost like Trump is acting like an intermediary, trying to express Putin's wishes to Zelenskyy and to the world, which is what he did after the Alaska summit," Nichols continued. "It's what he does every time he gets off the phone with Putin. The fact is, Vladimir Putin has this hold over Donald Trump that makes Trump and the American government into basically a de facto ally of Russia."