Donald Trump said security guarantees for Ukraine were nearly finalised, with talks “close to 95 per cent” complete, even as he warned that “thorny issues” remained unresolved.
A key unresolved issue was the control of territory in the Donbas region, he said after talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida on Sunday.
Zelensky, however, claimed that security guarantees between the US and Ukraine were “100 per cent agreed” while the arrangement between the US, Europe and Ukraine was “almost agreed”.
Trump revealed that he had spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin ahead of the crunch talks with Zelensky on the 20-point peace plan.
A Kremlin spokesperson said Trump and Putin did not want a temporary ceasefire ahead of any agreement and urged Ukraine to make a decision over the contested Donbas region.
This came after Moscow warned that any European troops deployed to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for its armed forces.
Putin, meanwhile, said Russia would accomplish all its goals by force if Ukraine didn’t want to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Key Points
- Trump says Ukraine security deal ‘close to 95%’ done
- Trump hails ‘terrific’ Ukraine peace plan meeting with Zelensky and claims ‘a lot of progress’ made
- Trump warns of 'thorny issues' after crunch peace deal talks with Zelensky
- Analysis: Trump uses Zelensky peace talks to indulge in conspiracy theories about 2020 election and the ‘Russia hoax’
- Putin envoy says world appreciates Trump peace efforts after Zelensky talks
Trump warns of ‘thorny issues’ after crunch peace deal talks with Zelensky
07:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarTrump planning another call with Putin
06:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump is planning to have another call with Putin, whose adviser said Kyiv must make “bold” political decisions on contested territory for a full ceasefire.
While Trump said progress is being made, he warned that unresolved issues could derail talks within weeks.
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for peace but stressed that sensitive issues remain.
“Ukraine is ready for peace,” he said.
Russia, meanwhile, insists on keeping occupied Ukrainian territory, blocking Nato membership for Kyiv, limiting Ukraine’s military, and securing other political concessions – demands Ukraine has rejected.
Trump says Ukraine and Russia ‘closer than ever before’ to a peace deal
05:45 , Maroosha MuzaffarUS president Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal after meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida, following a lengthy phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Trump expressed optimism that Putin wants peace, even as Russia continued attacks on Ukraine, but cautioned that negotiations remain complex and could still collapse.
Trump and Zelensky acknowledged major sticking points, particularly the future of the Donbas region and security guarantees to prevent future Russian invasions.
Zelensky said a 20-point draft peace plan is about 90 per cent ready, with the US offering Nato-like security guarantees if Ukraine drops its bid to join the alliance.
European leaders were briefed, and Trump said further meetings could take place soon.
Recap: Trump hails ‘terrific’ Ukraine peace plan meeting with Zelensky and claims ‘a lot of progress’ made
05:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump hailed crucial peace talks between the US and Ukraine as “terrific”, but acknowledged “thorny issues” remained before a deal could be achieved over the war with Russia.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday hoping to make progress on the proposed 20-point peace plan, with particular concerns over security and economic agreements.
The two leaders gave little away during a press conference following the discussions, but Mr Trump said he believed “a lot of progress” had been made.
You can read the full report from Bryony Gooch and Nicole Wootton-Cane below:
Trump hails ‘terrific’ Ukraine peace plan meeting with Zelensky
Trump says Ukraine security deal ‘close to 95%’ done
04:15 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump said security guarantees for Ukraine were nearly finalised, with talks “close to 95 per cent” complete.
He admitted, however, that some “thorny issues”, especially the control of territory in the eastern Donbas region, remained unresolved.
Trump was speaking after hosting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida for talks, which both described as productive.
Further US-Ukraine talks are set for next week.
Russian submarine followed spy ship into British waters as it mapped gas pipeline
04:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA Russian submarine was deployed alongside a spy ship to map critical undersea infrastructure around Britain, it has emerged.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has declassified a photo of the incident, which saw a submarine shadowing the Yantar, officially described as a Russian research ship, as it reportedly surveyed the gas pipeline linking Britain and Ireland. It was not clear whether the escort was one of Russia’s own purpose-built sabotage submarines.
An anti-submarine Merlin Mk2 helicopter could be seen from the photo tracking the Yantar in the Irish Sea from November last year; a British submarine also emerged from the surface nearby.
It is believed to be one of several operations where Russian submarines have accompanied the Yantar into waters close to the British Isles, according to The Sunday Times.
The Independent’s Bryony Gooch has this story:
Russian submarine followed spy ship into British waters as it mapped gas pipeline
Watch: Trump says ‘we’ll get it done’ and shakes hands with Zelensky ahead of peace talks in Florida
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-CanePutin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA Russian court has sentenced a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin to to six years in prison on Thursday.
Sergei Udaltsov is the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is also affiliated with the Communist Party.
He was arrested in 2024 and accused of justifying terrorism.
You can read more below:
Putin critic sentenced to six years in prison by Russian court
Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defence
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Ukraine is leveraging its powerful – and cheap – new drone killers for air defence
Analysis: Trump uses Zelensky peace talks to indulge in conspiracy theories about 2020 election and the ‘Russia hoax’
00:21 , John BowdenEven as he tried to boast once again Sunday about his supposed record of peacemaking, it is becoming increasingly possible that Trump’s very public refusal to give up his hurt feelings could make a solution — or the political will to enact it — all the more difficult.
Trump uses Zelensky peace talks to indulge in conspiracy theories about 2020 election
Russia wants to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
00:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia is reportedly planning to establish a nuclear power plant on the moon within the next decade.
This ambitious project aims to supply energy for its lunar space programme and a joint research station with China, as global powers intensify their efforts in lunar exploration.
You can read more below:
Russia plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next few years
Trump hails ‘terrific’ Ukraine peace plan meeting with Zelensky and claims ‘a lot of progress’ made
Sunday 28 December 2025 23:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneYou can read the full report from today’s events below:
Trump hails ‘terrific’ Ukraine peace plan meeting with Zelensky
Washington and Kyiv will speak again next week, Zelensky says
Sunday 28 December 2025 23:37 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and President Donald Trump made significant progress in talks, and agreed that US and Ukrainian teams would meet next week to finalise issues aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“We had a substantive conversation on all issues and highly value the progress that the Ukrainian and American teams have made over the past weeks,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Putin envoy says world appreciates Trump peace efforts after Zelensky talks
Sunday 28 December 2025 23:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe world appreciates Donald Trump’s peace efforts, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on X early on Monday after the US president met for peace talks with President Zelensky.
“The whole world appreciates President Trump and his team’s peace efforts,” Mr Dmitriev, Russia's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, wrote on X.
Watch: Trump warns of 'thorny issues' after crunch peace deal talks with Zelensky
Sunday 28 December 2025 23:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVon der Leyen hails 'good progress' made in meeting
Sunday 28 December 2025 22:49 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEU chief Ursula Von der Leyen has hailed “good progress” made in peace talks on Sunday.
In a post on X she wrote: “We had a good, one-hour-long call with @POTUS, President @ZelenskyyUa and several European leaders to discuss their meeting today on peace negotiations.
“There was good progress, which we welcomed. Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate this progress.
“Paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one.”
We had a good, one-hour-long call with @POTUS, President @ZelenskyyUa and several European leaders to discuss their meeting today on peace negotiations.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 28, 2025
There was good progress, which we welcomed.
Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate…
Starmer 'eager to sustain momentum' on Ukraine talks, Downing Street say
Sunday 28 December 2025 22:39 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer said he was eager to sustain the momentum of Ukraine peace talks as he spoke with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister spoke with President Trump, President Zelensky and European leaders this evening.
“The discussion focused on ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, with leaders commending President Trump for the progress achieved so far.
“They underlined the importance of robust security guarantees and reaffirmed the urgency of ending this barbaric war as soon as possible.
“The prime minister emphasised the UK’s commitment to working closely with partners to sustain momentum in the coming days – with President Trump highlighting his leadership in driving coordinated international support for Ukraine as talks continue.”
Trump says '91 per cent of Ukrainians want war to end' - but the number is familiar
Sunday 28 December 2025 22:25 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe US president has said “91 per cent of Ukrainians” want the war to end - but it is not entirely clear where the statistic is from.
The figure is close to a percentage that Mr Trump now routinely uses to express a big number – he usually uses 92 per cent, so this is a slight variation.
Could take 'a few weeks' for plan to be agreed, Trump says
Sunday 28 December 2025 22:12 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump has said a peace plan could be agreed in a “few weeks” if negotiations “go well”.
He said “I think we’re going to get it done” but that talks could drag on for longer if discussions are not productive.
'One or two thorny issues' being worked out, Trump says
Sunday 28 December 2025 22:02 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump has refused to be drawn on an exact percentage of the plan that is done, but said it “could be close to 95 per cent”.
“We are doing very well, we could be very close,” he said.
“There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues,” he added.
But he said good progress had been made today.
US-Ukraine security guarantees '100 per cent agreed', Zelensky says
Sunday 28 December 2025 21:59 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSecurity guarantees between the US and Ukraine are “100 per cent agreed”, Mr Zelensky has told the press conference.
“We have great achievements,” he said.
He described US-Europe-Ukraine security as “almost agreed”.
Zelensky and Trump covered '95 per cent' of plan, Trump says
Sunday 28 December 2025 21:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUS president Donald Trump has described his meeting with Mr Zelensky as “excellent” and said they covered “95 per cent” of the peace plan.
“Our meeting was excellent. We covered, some would say 95 per cent, I don’t know how much,” he said.
He joked that he hoped Mr Zelensky and his team had enjoyed their lunch at Mar-a-Lago.
Zelensky and Trump hold news conference following talks
Sunday 28 December 2025 21:52 , Nicole Wootton-CanePresidents Zelensky and Trump are now holding a press conference following talks.
Mr Trump is outlining the European leaders the pair spoke to, adding he also had a conversation with Vladimir Putin before the talks.
Recap: Key issues for discussion at Zelensky and Trump’s crucial peace talk
Sunday 28 December 2025 21:15 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Key issues for discussion at Zelensky and Trump’s crucial peace talk
Everything Moscow said after Putin and Trump's phone call
Sunday 28 December 2025 20:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMoscow’s spokesperson Yury Ushakov has released a statement following a telephone conversation between the US president and Putin earlier today.
He said: “President Vladimir Putin has just finished his telephone conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump. The conversation took place at the US President’s initiative. The US President wished to discuss the current developments in the context of the Ukrainian conflict and its potential resolution with the President of Russia. President Trump wished to discuss these matters before his in-person meeting with Zelensky later today at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
“Logically, at the beginning of the conversation that continued for 1 hour and 15 minutes, the presidents exchanged warm Christmas and New Year greetings and, naturally, wished happiness to both nations.The rest of the conversation was similarly friendly, good-natured and business-like, with mutual interest in making progress towards a long-term resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.
“Donald Trump paid close attention to Russia’s assessment of the realistic prospects for an agreement, and to our President’s detailed rationale for the fundamental importance of continuing to build upon the Russian-American understandings established during the Anchorage summit and the numerous subsequent contacts between the two administrations.
“Most significantly, the Russian and US presidents share a broadly similar view that the temporary ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and Europe – under the pretext of preparing for a referendum or other such measures – would merely prolong the conflict and risk a renewed escalation on the battlefield.
“Donald Trump repeatedly emphasised the necessity of ending the war as swiftly as possible and spoke of the impressive prospects for economic cooperation between the United States and both Russia and Ukraine that would open up once the hostilities are over.
“He acknowledged that the Ukrainian crisis has been his most formidable foreign policy challenge, stating that he now saw renewed proof of Russia’s commitment to a political and diplomatic settlement. It is with this understanding that he intends to frame his forthcoming negotiations with Zelensky.
“It is particularly noteworthy that during today’s conversation, the Russian President acceded to the American proposal to continue efforts to resolve the Ukrainian situation through two specially established working groups. One will address various security dimensions, and the other, economic matters.
“Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to speak again by telephone promptly after the US President’s meeting with the Ukrainian delegation at Mar-a-Lago this evening.”
One man killed in Russian attack hours before talks, Kyiv says
Sunday 28 December 2025 20:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOne man has died and three other people were injured in a Russian bomb attack in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, hours before the talks between Presidents Trump and Zelensky.
Local officials said three guided aerial bombs launched by Russia struck private homes in Sloviansk overnight into Sunday.
That came a day after Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least one person and wounding 27.
Watch: Trump says ‘we’ll get it done’ and shakes hands with Zelensky ahead of peace talks in Florida
Sunday 28 December 2025 20:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneWhat is in the peace deal being discussed?
Sunday 28 December 2025 19:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneTalks are ongoing over a peace deal that could see the end to a near four-year conflict in Ukraine.
The Independent’s Maryam Zakir-Hussain has details of the plan below:
Ukraine unveils 20-point peace proposal under discussion with US
'Economic benefits to Ukraine' in peace plan, Trump says
Sunday 28 December 2025 19:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump has said there are “economic benefits” to Ukraine in the peace plan under negotiation.
His comments came as he shook hands with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago this afternoon.
He said he believed a deal was close to being done and that both Putin and Zelensky wanted peace - but refused to put a deadline on the deal.
World leaders share messages support for Zelensky
Sunday 28 December 2025 19:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneWorld leaders have shared messages of support for President Zelensky this afternoon.
Posting on X, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk simply wrote: “Good luck @ZelenskyyUa”.
Also writing on the platform, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney shared reports of newly announced funding provided by the country to Ukraine.
“Canada stands with Ukraine,” he wrote. “Our new loan guarantees and financing will support a just and lasting peace — and help the Ukrainian people rebuild and recover.”
Good luck @ZelenskyyUa
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 28, 2025
Pictures show top Trump officials gathered around table
Sunday 28 December 2025 19:03 , Nicole Wootton-CanePhotos from Mar-a-Lago this afternoon show top Trump administration officials gathered for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s war secretary, is sat next to the president, while key figures including secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also present.
Analysis: Putin's influence looms over today's meeting
Sunday 28 December 2025 18:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Washington correspondent John Bowden reports:
Donald Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Ukraine’s president that he’d call Russia’s Vladimir Putin back after the conversation, capping off the talks and allowing Putin to have the last word in Sunday’s discussions.
The US president literally and figuratively rolled out the red carpet for the Russian leader in August when he invited Putin to Alaska for talks that have gone little further over the remainder of 2025. The stark reality of the pace of peace talks strongly clashes with the dynamic Trump promised to bring into the White House on the campaign trail, when he boasted of his ability to end the Russia-Ukraine war in a day.
Now, as Putin’s spokesman says that time is running out for Zelensky to propose a solution for the Russian-occupied disputed Donbas region, the US leader again appears to be allowing Moscow to dominate the conversation and his view of the war.
That distorted view seemed evident Sunday as Trump responded to a reporter’s question about a series of Russian strikes that hit buildings in Kyiv a day earlier, killing two people.
The US president countered that Ukraine was launching “strong” attacks of its own.
Trump mocks reporter's 'dumb' question
Sunday 28 December 2025 18:46 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Washington correspondent John Bowden reports:
Donald Trump briefly shook hands with Volodymyr Zelensky and posed for photos ahead of their meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday.
The two are due to speak on the Ukrainian leader’s 20-point proposal, negotiated with consultation from the Trump administration, for peace with Russia.
As the two greeted each other, the US president responded to a question from a reporter about a European security guarantee similar to Nato Article V protections, which he mocked as a “dumb” query.
"What a dumb question. Nobody even knows what the security agreement is going to state,” said Trump.
In pictures: Trump and Zelensky shake hands before crunch talks
Sunday 28 December 2025 18:44 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Trump says 'we'll get it done' as he shakes hands with Zelensky
Sunday 28 December 2025 18:34 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump has said he believes he will get a deal done as he shakes hands with Zelensky ahead of their talks.
“It will either end or it will go on for a long time and millions of additional people are going to be dead. And nobody wants that,” he told reporters.
“I believe we can move very rapidly.”
