Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks focused on Ukraine’s security and the ongoing war with Russia.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Zelenskyy said security guarantees for Ukraine will be the main topic of discussion. He added that a proposed 20-point peace plan is “about 90% ready.” An economic agreement will also be discussed, though he said it is unclear whether any deal will be finalized during the meeting.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will also raise territorial issues and stressed that Kyiv wants European countries to be involved in future talks. However, he admitted this may not be possible at such short notice. He said Ukraine hopes to soon find a format that includes the US, Ukraine, and European representatives.
The meeting comes as part of an intensified US-led diplomatic effort to end the nearly four-year-long Russia-Ukraine war, which began on February 24, 2022. Progress has been difficult due to sharply opposing demands from Moscow and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s comments came after what he called a “good conversation” with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia has already been in contact with US representatives. He confirmed that Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently met US envoys in Florida and that both sides agreed to continue dialogue.
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Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said Ukraine could consider withdrawing troops from parts of eastern Ukraine as part of a peace plan, provided Russia also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.
However, Russia has shown no sign of agreeing to such a move and continues to demand that Ukraine give up remaining territory in the Donbas region. Russia currently controls most of Luhansk and around 70% of Donetsk.
Fighting on the ground continues. One person was killed and three others injured after a guided aerial bomb hit a house in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Six people were wounded in a missile strike on the city of Uman. Russian drone attacks damaged energy and port infrastructure in Mykolaiv and Odesa, leaving parts of Mykolaiv without power.
Ukraine also claimed it struck a major Russian oil refinery in the Rostov region on Thursday using UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Ukraine’s General Staff said multiple explosions were recorded at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery. Russian officials confirmed a firefighter was injured while putting out the blaze.
Ukraine says its strikes on Russian refineries are aimed at cutting off oil export revenue that funds Moscow’s war effort, while accusing Russia of targeting Ukraine’s power grid in an attempt to “weaponize winter.”
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