Zelenskyy says will meet with Trump, Russia reaches out to US

Volodymyr Verbianyi, Bloomberg News on Dec 26, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he plans to meet his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump “in the coming days,” signaling optimism about reaching a peace deal to end Russia’s almost four-year war.

Separately, the Kremlin said its representatives had made contact with the U.S. at President Vladimir Putin’s direction.

“A lot could be decided before the New Year,” Zelenskyy said Friday in a Telegram and X post after receiving an update from Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top negotiator with the U.S. and head of the National Defense and Security Council.

Ukrainian media reported earlier that Zelenskyy is expected to travel to Florida, where Trump is spending the Christmas break, to meet with Trump as soon as Sunday.

Kyiv and Washington are seeking to align on a 20-point peace plan to present to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including the provision of strong security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5, and a global post-war development program for Ukraine.

While the allies have agreed on most items, several issues remain unresolved, including Ukraine’s opposition to territorial concessions in the eastern region of Donetsk.

Zelenskyy on Thursday said he had “a very good conversation” lasting nearly an hour on the peace plan with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

“Of course, there is still work to be done on sensitive issues,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Thursday. “But together with the American team, we understand how to put all of this in place. The weeks ahead may also be intensive. Thank you, America!”

The Kremlin has reviewed information delivered to Putin by his envoy Kirill Dmitriev following recent talks with the U.S. in Miami, Interfax reported on Friday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Contacts have since taken place between representatives of the Russian and U.S. administrations, with presidential aide Yury Ushakov representing Russia, Peskov said. The sides agreed to continue the dialogue, he added, without offering more detail.

Also on Friday, an official with French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing nations, focused on security guarantees for Ukraine, is likely to take place in Paris in the new year. Zelenskyy may attend the talks, the official said.

---------

—With assistance from Ania Nussbaum.