Zelenskyy to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Ukraine peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump volition conscionable successful Florida connected Sunday to forge a program to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine, but look differences implicit large issues including territory arsenic Russian aerial raids heap unit connected Kyiv.

Russia deed the superior and different parts of war-torn Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones connected Saturday, knocking retired powerfulness and vigor successful parts of the capital. Zelenskyy called it Russia's effect to the U.S.-brokered bid efforts.

Zelenskyy has told journalists that helium plans to sermon the destiny of eastbound Ukraine's contested Donbas portion during the gathering astatine Trump's Florida residence, arsenic good arsenic the aboriginal of the Zaporizhzhia atomic powerfulness works and different topics.

The Ukrainian president and his delegation arrived successful Florida precocious connected Saturday, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya said connected X.

"Good evening, Florida!" Kyslytsya wrote, accompanying the station with a photograph of an craft bearing the U.S. president's surname connected the fuselage.

Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine output each of the Donbas, adjacent areas inactive nether Kyiv's control, and Russian officials person objected to different parts of the latest proposal, sparking doubts astir whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would judge immoderate Sunday's talks mightiness produce.

Putin said connected Saturday that Moscow would proceed waging its war if Kyiv did not question a speedy peace. Russia has steadily precocious connected the battlefield successful caller weeks and months, claiming power implicit respective much settlements connected Sunday.

The Ukrainian president told Axios connected Friday helium inactive hopes to soften a U.S. connection for Ukrainian forces to retreat wholly from the Donbas. Failing that, Zelenskyy said the full 20-point plan, the effect of weeks of negotiations, should beryllium enactment to a referendum vote.

Axios said U.S. officials viewed Zelenskyy's willingness to clasp a referendum arsenic a large measurement guardant and a motion that helium was nary longer ruling retired territorial concessions, though helium said Russia would request to hold to a 60-day ceasefire to let Ukraine to hole for and clasp specified a vote.

A caller canvass suggests that Ukrainian voters whitethorn besides cull the plan.

Kyiv residents interviewed by Reuters connected Sunday expressed a premix of anticipation and skepticism implicit the talks.

"I privation for this to beryllium implicit - but this is what our broadside wishes for," said Stanyslav, a 44-year-old worker who declined to supply his past name. "We don't person immoderate leverage successful this situation."

Zelenskyy's in-person gathering with Trump, scheduled for 1 p.m. (1800 GMT), follows weeks of diplomatic efforts. European allies, portion astatine times chopped retired of the loop, person stepped up efforts to sketch retired the contours of a post-war information warrant for Kyiv that would beryllium supported by the United States.

Writing connected X up of talks, Zelenskyy said that "a batch tin beryllium decided earlier the New Year" but that bid depended connected beardown enactment from Kyiv's partners.

Kyiv and Washington person agreed connected galore issues, and Zelenskyy said connected Friday that the 20-point program was 90% finished. But the contented of what territory, if any, volition beryllium ceded to Russia remains unresolved.

While Moscow insists connected getting each of the Donbas, Kyiv wants the representation frozen astatine existent conflict lines.

The United States, seeking a compromise, has projected a escaped economical portion if Ukraine leaves the area, though it remains unclear however that portion would relation successful applicable terms.

It has besides projected shared power implicit the Zaporizhzhia atomic powerfulness plant, wherever powerfulness enactment repairs person begun aft different section ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the bureau said connected Sunday.

Zelenskyy, whose past meetings with Trump person not ever gone smoothly, worries on with his European allies that Trump could merchantability retired Ukraine and permission European powers to ft the measure for supporting a devastated nation, aft Russian forces took 12 to 17 quadrate km (4.6-6.6 quadrate miles) of its territory per time successful 2025.

Russia controls each of Crimea, which it annexed successful 2014, and since its penetration of Ukraine astir 4 years agone has taken power of astir 12% of its territory, including astir 90% of Donbas, 75% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and slivers of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to Russian estimates.

Putin said connected December 19 that helium thought a bid woody should beryllium based connected conditions helium acceptable retired successful 2024: Ukraine withdrawing from each of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its purpose to articulation NATO.

Ukrainian officials and European leaders presumption the warfare arsenic an imperial-style onshore drawback by Moscow and person warned that if Russia gets its mode with Ukraine, it volition 1 time onslaught NATO members.

The 20-point program was spun disconnected from a Russian-led 28-point plan, which emerged from talks betwixt U.S. peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian peculiar envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and which became nationalist successful November.

Subsequent talks betwixt Ukrainian officials and U.S. negotiators person produced the much Kyiv-friendly 20-point plan.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke with Zelenskyy on with different European leaders connected Saturday, said connected X that their shared nonsubjective remained "a conscionable and lasting peace" that preserved Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, portion strengthening the country's information and defence capabilities.

Zelenskyy said helium would talk with European leaders aft his gathering with Trump.