Zelensky arrives in Florida for Trump talks in bid to secure Ukraine peace deal

Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Florida for talks with Donald Trump on ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president said he had spoken to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to prepare ahead of the talks, which are expected to focus on security guarantees and territorial issues in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Mr Zelensky has said the 20-point draft proposal negotiators have discussed is “about 90% ready”.

He thanked Sir Keir for the “constant co-ordination” after speaking to him in a “detailed phone call” ahead of the talks.

Sir Keir reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine in the call, while both welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts and the US president’s continued engagement in securing peace, Downing Street said.

Mr Zelensky said in post on X: “These are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year right now, and a lot can be decided before the New Year.”

He had stopped in Canada to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney on his way to the US talks, and spoke with European allies on Saturday.

Mr Trump meanwhile said he had a “good and very productive” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday morning.

It comes after Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv a day ahead of the talks, which Mr Zelensky said “really shows that Putin doesn’t want peace”.

The talks in Florida are the latest stage in Mr Trump’s year-long effort to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, having previously said he would end the war on the first day of his term in office.

Mr Zelensky has said the draft peace plan includes a US commitment to provide guarantees mirroring the Nato alliance’s Article 5, which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies.

But key details are still to be worked out, with territorial concessions the most sensitive of the issues the two leaders will discuss.

On Christmas Eve, Mr Zelensky said the US and Ukraine had reached a consensus on a number of critical issues, and indicated he was open to creating a demilitarised zone on his country’s eastern border with Russia.

But he has continued to resist Russian demands that Ukraine gives up two of its eastern regions, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russia is also likely to object to a role for Nato forces in monitoring a ceasefire, which European leaders including Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron have said must form part of any deal.

Other European demands include allowing Ukraine to maintain a peacetime military of 800,000 troops and to join the EU, while the US has reportedly offered unspecified security guarantees.

Mr Zelensky said he hoped European leaders could also be involved in talks either on Sunday or at a future date.