Trump Claims Ukraine Russia Peace Deal Closer Than Ever After Zelenskyy Meeting
Well here we are again. Another Sunday, another round of peace talks that may or may not actually lead anywhere. President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago yesterday and came out swinging with some pretty bold claims.
“We’re closer than ever before,” Trump told reporters after the roughly three hour meeting. “Maybe very close.” He did acknowledge there’s still “one or two very thorny issues” to work out. Which, you know. Could mean anything at this point.
The Putin Call That Started It All
Before Zelenskyy even showed up Trump was on the phone with Vladimir Putin. The call lasted over an hour and fifteen minutes according to NPR reporting. Trump called it “good and very productive” on Truth Social. The Kremlin confirmed it happened but hasnt said much else publicly.
Look I’ve covered enough of these diplomatic situations to know that phone calls described as productive can mean literally anything. But the timing is interesting. Getting Putin on the line right before sitting down with Zelenskyy sends a message whether intentional or not.
The 20 Point Plan Nobody Has Seen
According to CBS News theres apparently a 20-point peace plan floating around and Zelenskyy says its “90 percent agreed upon.” The security guarantees between the US and Ukraine are supposedly “100 percent agreed.”
But here’s the thing. Nobody outside these meetings has actually seen this plan. We dont know what territorial concessions might be on the table. We dont know what happens with Crimea or the Donbas region. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant situation is still a massive question mark.
Meanwhile Russia Keeps Bombing
And this is the part that gets me. While all this diplomatic posturing is happening Russia launched over 2,100 attack drones just this week alone. Zelenskyy posted the numbers himself – around 800 guided aerial bombs and 94 missiles on top of those drones.
The attack on Kyiv Friday night was one of the heaviest in months. ABC News reported roughly 500 drones and 40 missiles hit the capital. Two people dead. A third of the city without heat in the middle of winter.
Hard to square that with being “closer than ever” to peace but thats the reality on the ground right now.
What Happens Next
Theres supposed to be follow up meetings in January. Washington this time. European leaders are watching closely – France and the UK have been involved in some of the security guarantee discussions according to NBC News.
Trump seems genuinely invested in getting this done. Whether Putin actually wants peace or just a pause to regroup is the billion dollar question. The sanctions relief alone would be worth playing along for a while.
I’ve seen a lot of these situations over the years. The optimistic statements. The handshakes. The “historic progress.” Sometimes it actually leads somewhere. Sometimes it falls apart the moment the cameras turn off.
PBS has more details on the draft proposal if you want to dig deeper.
For now were in wait and see mode. The January meetings will tell us a lot more about whether this is real progress or just more diplomatic theater while people keep dying in a war thats approaching its fourth year.
Stay tuned.
