'Thorny issues' to '90% done': What went down at Trump-Zelenskyy meet in Florida; key takeaways

US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy astatine his Mar-a-Lago property successful Florida, adjacent arsenic Russia intensified its attacks connected Kyiv. Both leaders struck an optimistic tone, repeatedly suggesting that a bid woody was person than astatine immoderate erstwhile point, yet they besides acknowledged that respective issues peculiarly territory, information guarantees and the aboriginal of occupied infrastructure stay unresolved.“I deliberation we’re getting a batch closer, possibly precise close,” Trump said aft the meeting. Zelenskyy, thanking Trump for a “great meeting”, said Ukraine was “ready for peace” and that talks had yielded “significant results”, adjacent if last decisions were inactive pending.

The talks came conscionable hours aft the 47th POTUS held a lengthy telephone speech with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and against the backdrop of caller Russian rocket and drone strikes connected Ukrainian cities.

Putin's shadiness looms large

Zelenskyy’s sojourn followed what Trump described arsenic an “excellent” telephone telephone with Putin earlier the aforesaid day. The Kremlin aboriginal said the telephone was “friendly, benevolent and businesslike”, adding that Trump and Putin agreed to talk again promptly aft Trump’s talks with the Ukrainian leader.

Trump insisted Putin inactive wants peace, contempt Russia launching caller attacks connected Ukraine arsenic Zelenskyy travelled to the US.

“Russia wants to spot Ukraine succeed,” Trump said, adding that Putin had been “very generous successful his feelings toward Ukraine succeeding”.Also read: Trump speaks to Putin up of Florida conscionable with ZelenskyyThat framing has alarmed immoderate of Ukraine’s supporters, who enactment a signifier successful which Trump speaks to Putin earlier gathering Zelenskyy. However, dissimilar erstwhile encounters, this series did not pb to an openly tense speech betwixt the US and Ukrainian presidents.

Peace woody ‘90% agreed’

At the centre of the talks was a revised 20-point bid model that US and Ukrainian teams person been refining for weeks.

Zelenskyy said the program was “90% agreed”, portion Trump said helium did not similar utilizing percentages but suggested the woody was astir complete.

“We discussed each aspects of the bid framework,” Zelenskyy aboriginal wrote. “We agreed that information guarantees are a cardinal milestone successful achieving lasting peace.”The 2 sides besides agreed that their teams would conscionable again arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week to finalise remaining details, and that Trump would big Ukrainian and European leaders successful Washington successful January.

Territory remains the toughest obstacle

Both leaders acknowledged that the destiny of the eastbound Donbas portion remains unresolved. Trump described it arsenic “a precise pugnacious issue”, though helium said it was getting person to resolution. Zelenskyy was blunt astir the divide. “Our cognition is precise clear,” helium said, adding that Ukraine and Russia clasp fundamentally antithetic positions.Trump suggested that making territorial concessions sooner alternatively than aboriginal could beryllium pragmatic. “Some of that onshore has been taken,” helium said. “And are you amended disconnected making a woody now?”Zelenskyy has shown caller flexibility, saying immoderate territorial colony would necessitate either a referendum oregon parliamentary approval, but lone aft a ceasefire, thing Moscow has truthful acold rejected.

Agreement successful rule but details pending

Security guarantees emerged arsenic the clearest country of convergence. Zelenskyy said US-Ukraine information guarantees were “100% agreed”, calling them indispensable to preventing aboriginal Russian aggression. Trump was much cautious, saying the talks were astir “95% done” and stressing that European countries would request to enarthrosis overmuch of the work with US backing.During caller negotiations, Washington has floated Nato-like guarantees for Ukraine, adjacent arsenic Zelenskyy signalled helium could driblet Kyiv’s bid to formally articulation the confederation if equivalent protections were provided.

Russia, however, has repeatedly rejected immoderate Nato relation and warned it would presumption allied troops arsenic morganatic targets.

The atomic question

Another unresolved contented is the Zaporizhzhia atomic powerfulness plant, Europe’s largest, which has been nether Russian power since aboriginal successful the war. Trump said the works was discussed “at length” and suggested Putin was unfastened to cooperation. “President Putin is really moving with Ukraine connected getting it open,” helium said.Under US proposals, the works could beryllium jointly tally by the US, Russia and Ukraine, with shared profits. Zelenskyy is known to reason immoderate Russian commercialized role, making this a imaginable flashpoint arsenic talks continue.

Europe brought into the room

After their meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy spoke jointly by telephone with a wide radical of European leaders, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Finland.Von der Leyen aboriginal said advancement was “good” but stressed that “ironclad information guarantees from time one” would beryllium essential. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s bureau said leaders underlined the urgency of ending the warfare and commended Trump for driving talks forward.

Trump’s deadline: Weeks, not days

Trump repeatedly warned that negotiations could inactive collapse. “In a fewer weeks, we volition cognize 1 mode oregon the other,” helium said. “It’s imaginable it doesn’t happen.”Also read: Donald Trump’s favourite timeline - 2 weeksThe US president, who erstwhile claimed helium could extremity the warfare successful a day, present openly acknowledges its complexity. “This is not a one-day process deal,” helium said. “This is precise analyzable stuff.”

Optimism tempered by warfare connected the ground

Even arsenic diplomacy intensifies, warring continues. Russia launched large attacks connected Kyiv and different regions up of the talks, knocking retired powerfulness and heating for hundreds of thousands. Ukrainian officials described the strikes arsenic grounds of Moscow’s existent intentions.Still, some Trump and Zelenskyy emerged keen to task momentum. “I bash deliberation we’re getting a batch closer,” Trump said. Zelenskyy echoed that sentiment, thanking Trump and his squad and reiterating: “Ukraine is acceptable for peace.”