President Donald Trump says he's got a 'good shot' at securing a breakthrough when he sits down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, even as Russia pounded Kyiv with 500 drones in a single day. The timing couldn't be more stark - Trump rang up Vladimir Putin for what he called a 'productive' chat just hours before the Mar-a-Lago summit, whilst Ukrainian civilians were being pulled from rubble in their capital.
The Saturday assault killed at least one person and left 27 wounded, knocking out power and heating across Kyiv as temperatures hovered near freezing. More than 10 residential buildings took hits, with rescuers working through collapsed structures looking for survivors. One woman, 52-year-old Olena Karpenko, told CBS News she heard a man burning to death during the attack. 'His scream is still in my ears. I can't believe it', she said through tears.
Putin call precedes Florida showdown
'I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine', Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday morning.
Zelensky wasn't buying Putin's diplomatic overtures. 'There have been many questions these days. Where is the Russian response to the proposals to end the war, which were made by the United States and the world?' the Ukrainian leader said Saturday. 'Russian representatives hold long talks, in reality the Kinzal and Shaheds speak for them' - referring to the missiles and drones that had just torn through his country's capital.
The assault was part of a brutal bombardment campaign leading up to Sunday's talks. Over recent days, Russia launched more than 2,100 drone attacks, close to 800 guided aerial bombs and 94 missiles at Ukraine, according to officials in Kyiv. On Saturday alone, 500 drones and 40 missiles hit Ukrainian targets, with energy infrastructure and civilian areas bearing the brunt.
Trump maintains optimism despite escalating attacks
Yet Trump remains upbeat about the 1pm Florida meeting. 'Well, I think we have a good shot at it', he told The Post. 'I think [Ukrainian officials] want to do it now, and I think that Russia wants to do it. But every time one wants to do it, the other doesn't'.
The two leaders are working off a 20-point peace plan that's supposedly about 90 per cent finished. What started as a 28-point framework - which critics slammed as too Russia-friendly - has been whittled down through weeks of intense negotiations between American and Ukrainian officials. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff have been the main go-betweens, meeting with Zelensky as recently as Christmas Day.
The remaining 10 per cent is where things get sticky. Territory is the big one - Russia wants full control of the Donbas region, whilst Ukraine's held onto strategically vital cities there and isn't keen on giving them up. There's also the matter of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which Russia currently occupies, and what kind of security guarantees America might offer Ukraine to prevent future invasions.
Putin made his position crystal clear on Saturday. 'If Ukraine does not want to resolve everything peacefully, Russia will resolve all its objectives by military means', he said, according to translations.
Constitutional hurdles complicate Ukraine's position
Zelensky faces his own constraints. Ukraine's constitution requires a referendum for any territorial changes, meaning he can't just hand over land even if he wanted to. He's also dropped hints that Ukraine might be willing to shelve its NATO membership bid if it gets iron-clad security guarantees instead - something American officials are apparently working on.
'Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war', Zelensky posted on Saturday. 'We need to be strong at the negotiating table'.
What Trump's got planned beyond Sunday's sit-down remains unclear. The meeting is happening without European leaders present, a shift from previous Trump-Zelensky encounters where EU officials rushed to tag along. That might signal either American confidence in closing a deal or recognition that the two principals need to hash things out alone first.
One thing's certain: Russia's answer to peace talks has been more violence. Whether Trump's optimism can survive that reality will become clearer after the Mar-a-Lago meeting wraps up.
"Ukraine will never accept any decisions made between the U.S. and Russia without Ukraine's participation.
— D.Radka, #NAFO 🇨🇿🤝🇺🇦 (@DakdaR22) December 27, 2025
We have a place at the table because the war is in our land.
Our peace plan for Ukraine is 90% complete...
we will finalize it with partners"
- Zelensky 🇺🇦
Great 🙏
🫡 pic.twitter.com/iMqlM8D7bI
Why This Meeting Could Reshape the War
Trump's pushing hard to notch Ukraine as a signature foreign policy win after brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. He's repeatedly said ending the war is a top priority, though he's admitted it's proven harder than expected. The hatred between Zelensky and Putin, Trump noted, makes everything more complicated.
For Zelensky, the stakes couldn't be higher. His country's been fighting for nearly four years, infrastructure is battered, and civilians keep dying. Getting American backing for security guarantees and continued support means everything. But he's also walking a tightrope - make too many concessions and he faces domestic backlash; dig in too hard and risk losing Trump's patience.
Sunday's talks will show whether Trump's confidence in a breakthrough matches the reality on the ground, or if Russia's 500-drone salvo has already answered that question.
