US President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine are at their most advanced stage, after a nearly three-hour meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he is spending the Christmas holidays and enjoying daily rounds of golf.

Zelensky and Trump spoke by phone with EU leaders during the meeting between the two presidents to discuss the latest peace proposal for Ukraine. At a joint press conference, Trump avoided setting specific deadlines, but stressed that the progress made in recent weeks had been substantial. "We can say we're at 95%, but I don't like to talk about percentages. We're making great progress and we're very close," he insisted, while warning that there were still "one or two thorny, very tough issues" that could complicate finalizing the agreement. Zelensky echoed the positive tone and described the meeting as “excellent.” The Ukrainian leader revealed that the 20-point peace plan being discussed with Washington's mediation has already reached 90% consensus and announced that both sides agreed to meet again "in the coming weeks" to finalize the remaining issues, although he did not specify the venue or date of the next meeting.

Donbas, the most delicate point of the negotiation

One of the main stumbling blocks remains the future status of the eastern Donbas region, partially occupied by Russia since 2014.

Trump acknowledged that this is "one of the big issues" still unresolved, after confirming that he held a telephone conversation on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which, he said, there was progress "in the right direction."

The peace plan, which has so far been rejected by Moscow, includes bold proposals, From a non-aggression pact with Russia and US security guarantees for Ukraine similar to those of NATO, to the creation of a “free economy zone” in parts of Donetsk.

This last option would allow Ukraine to withdraw from certain sectors in exchange for a negotiated peace, a formula that seeks to satisfy Moscow's territorial demands without Kyiv completely losing its sovereignty.

“We could get to a point where something that isn't being considered becomes a major issue and derails it,” Trump cautiously warned, stressing that, although they are close, the complexity of the negotiation remains extreme.

Moscow seeks to secure at the negotiating table what it has not been able to fully consolidate on the battlefield, while Kyiv tries to preserve its sovereignty and obtain long-term security guarantees.

Elections, referendum, and Zelensky's political letter

An unexpected component in this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum for

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through a parliamentary vote and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have moved the political needle in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections. This move is seen as a strategy to undermine the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law.

Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely.

“I would like to close the deal and not necessarily have to go,” he stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether Mar-a-Lago's optimism finally translates into an end to the war.

Moscow seeks to secure at the negotiating table what it has failed to fully consolidate on the battlefield, while Kyiv attempts to preserve its sovereignty and obtain long-term security guarantees.

Elections, referendum, and Zelensky's political policies charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace agreement.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding political territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the needle in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago finally translates into an end to the war.

Moscow political seeks to secure at the negotiating table what it has failed to fully consolidate on the battlefield, while Kyiv attempts to preserve its sovereignty and obtain long-term security guarantees.

Elections, referendum, and Zelensky's charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace agreement.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the political needle in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.“I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago finally translates into an end to the war.

Moscow political seeks to secure at the negotiating table what it has failed to fully consolidate on the battlefield, while Kyiv attempts to preserve its sovereignty and obtain long-term security guarantees.

Elections, referendum, and Zelensky's charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace agreement.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the political needle in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.“I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago finally translates into an end to the war.

Moscow political seeks to secure at the negotiating table what it has failed to fully consolidate on the battlefield, while Kyiv attempts to preserve its sovereignty and obtain long-term security guarantees.

Elections, referendum, and Zelensky's charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace agreement.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the political needle in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.and Zelensky's political charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the political needle agreement in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.and Zelensky's political charter

An unexpected component of this roadmap is Kyiv's openness to holding presidential elections and a simultaneous referendum to validate the peace.

Although the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory through parliamentary votes, and wartime elections have been unpopular, Trump's insistence appears to have shifted the political needle agreement in Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed that a working group is already analyzing the legal obstacles to holding these elections.

This measure is seen as a strategy to disarm the arguments of Moscow and certain sectors in Washington that question the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government due to the extension of its mandate by martial law. Trump, for his part, left open the possibility of traveling to Ukraine and addressing parliament if that helps to finalize the agreement, although he considered it unlikely. “I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go,” I stated. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war. With active talks underway with European Union leaders and a new round of contacts on the horizon, the coming weeks could be decisive in determining whether the optimism at Mar-a-Lago will finally translate into an end to the war.

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