US President Donald Trump has indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds little leverage in ongoing peace negotiations unless Washington gives its approval, underscoring the power dynamics ahead of their scheduled meeting in Florida on Sunday.
The talks are part of intensified diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the nearly four-year war between Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskyy is expected to present a new 20-point peace proposal during the meeting, which reportedly includes provisions for a demilitarised zone and seeks firm US security guarantees. However, Trump made clear that he is in no hurry to endorse the plan. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got,” Trump told Politico, signalling a cautious and transactional approach.
The remarks highlight Ukraine’s increasing dependence on persuading Trump, who has at times appeared open to accommodating Russia as part of a broader push to end the conflict. While Moscow has shown little flexibility in its stated positions, Washington has reportedly pressed Kyiv to soften some of its original demands.
Sunday’s meeting comes amid Trump’s renewed drive to broker an agreement in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy told reporters that while a final deal could not be guaranteed, both sides would aim to “finalise as much as we can.”
Trump, meanwhile, struck an optimistic note about diplomacy with both Kyiv and Moscow. He said he expected a productive meeting with Zelenskyy and expressed hope of speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. “I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” he said.
The comments followed Zelenskyy’s discussions with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, which the Ukrainian leader described as a “good conversation.”
Ukraine’s 20-Point Plan
The new proposal, developed with Ukrainian input, marks Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement so far of the possibility of territorial concessions. It represents a significant departure from an earlier 28-point US draft circulated last month, which aligned more closely with several core Russian demands.
According to CNN, Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan is “90% ready” and that his talks with Trump would focus on how Ukraine’s allies could guarantee the country’s long-term security.
Russia, however, has reacted sharply. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accused Zelenskyy of trying to “torpedo” a US-brokered agreement, insisting that any deal must remain within the parameters set by Trump and Putin. “Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said on local television. He also claimed that Kyiv and some of its European backers were stepping up efforts to undermine a settlement.
As diplomacy intensifies, the outcome of the Trump–Zelenskyy meeting is expected to be a critical moment in determining whether the long-running conflict can move closer to a negotiated end.
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