Trump and Zelensky Meet at Mar-a-Lago to Finalize Ukraine Peace Plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to reporting from Time. The high-stakes diplomatic talks focus on a U.S.-brokered peace plan aimed at ending nearly four years of war, amid an escalation of Russian missile and drone attacks across multiple Ukrainian cities.

The meeting arrives as delegations from Kyiv and Washington work to finalize a revised 20-point peace proposal, according to Time. This current draft marks a reduction from an earlier 28-point proposal drafted by the Trump administration that faced intense criticism across Ukraine and Europe for offering sweeping concessions to Moscow. Zelensky stated that the current proposal is “about 90% ready,” though critical elements such as territorial arrangements in the eastern Donbas region and the exact scope of security guarantees remain unresolved.

Escalating Attacks Precede Mar-a-Lago Talks

The diplomatic push unfolds against a backdrop of renewed military violence. According to local officials cited by Time, Russian guided aerial bombs struck residential areas in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on Dec. 27, 2025, killing at least one person and injuring three others. That barrage followed a wave of ballistic missiles and drone strikes targeting Kyiv on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, which killed at least two people, wounded dozens, and left around a third of the capital without heating.

Zelensky noted on X following the weekend strikes that Russia deployed around 500 drones and 40 missiles, which caused widespread damage and left two children among the wounded. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces intercepted 111 Ukrainian drones on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, including several over Moscow.

International Coordination and Economic Support

Ahead of his sit-down with Trump, Zelensky conferred with international partners. Time reported that the Ukrainian leader spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to review battlefield updates and the consequences of recent aerial strikes. Zelensky also visited Canada on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and connected with other European leaders via video conference.

During the visit to Canada, Carney announced $2.5 billion in economic assistance directed toward Ukraine’s reconstruction. Carney stated that “we have the conditions and possibility for a just and lasting peace,” though he emphasized that achieving it “requires a willing Russia,” according to Time’s reporting. Zelensky’s office indicated that the Ukrainian president plans to update additional allies regarding the outcome of his discussions with Trump once the Mar-a-Lago meetings conclude.