“Either the war ends now or millions will die”

Trump has avoided setting formal timetables or deadlines. “I don’t have deadlines. My goal is for the war to end,” he told the press from his Florida residence. But he stressed that the process does not allow any more delays. He assured that both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin “want an agreement”, and affirmed that there were “the means” to achieve it. “There is nothing more important”, he declared, presenting himself as the only interlocutor capable of talking with both parties and imposing results. “We have to make a deal, we have to do it now.”

Zelensky appeared with a more contained and strategic tone. He thanked Trump for his direct involvement and affirmed that “peace is possible.” He explained that the meeting was “very important” so that the teams from the two countries could talk “about strategy” and guide a process which, he said, must move forward “step by step”. He avoided grand rhetorical gestures and focused on two key concepts for Kyiv: security guarantees and coordination with European allies. He made it clear that the United States is working within this framework of guarantees and that without it there will be no lasting agreement.

The Ukrainian president’s arrival at Mar-a-Lago was measured to the second and loaded with symbolism. His car arrived at the complex at 1:23 p.m. local time. He got out of a black SUV and stood next to the vehicle for about a minute, protected by Secret Service agents and partially out of view of the press. At 1:26 p.m., Trump came out to receive him. “Hello, Mr. President,” Zelensky said as he approached. They shook hands for a few seconds and posed for the cameras before Trump turned to reporters and began answering questions.

Informality and political calculation

Zelensky had already arrived in Florida without receiving an official reception at the airport upon arrival. The Mar-a-Lago scene combined informality and political calculation. Trump, relaxed in his private residence, spoke without notes and without intermediaries. He refused to commit to immediately signing a security agreement. “What a stupid question. Nobody knows yet what this agreement will say,” he replied when this possibility was raised.

At the same time, he makes gestures of recognition towards Europe. “The European leaders have all been fantastic,” he said, announcing that he would speak with them by telephone after the meeting with Zelensky.

Trump also hinted at a shift in the military balance by referring to “explosions at key sites in Russia.” He said he had not questioned Putin, but added that the author “is neither Congo nor the United States”, referring directly to Ukraine. According to his interpretation, kyiv attacks and demonstrates force, which pushes Moscow to want to negotiate to avoid further damage, even if Putin does not publicly recognize this. It is a reading that places Ukrainian military pressure as a central element of the negotiation.

Hours before the meeting with Zelensky, Trump spoke on the phone with Putin for the first time since October. The call lasted one hour and 15 minutes and was described as “productive” by both parties. The Kremlin said the two leaders share the view that a temporary truce would only prolong the conflict and that they agreed to create specific working groups on security and the economy to move towards an agreement. Trump confirmed he would call Putin again after their meeting at Mar-a-Lago to “continue negotiations.”

In this context, the question of territorial concessions was deliberately left open. Zelensky avoided specifying how far he would be willing to go and limited himself to saying that “they will be discussed.” Trump was more explicit in introducing the economic factor. He said that, if there were concessions, the United States would offer “great economic aid” to Ukraine. “This is a country with many resources,” he said, assuring that Washington would provide economic benefits as part of the deal.

Security guarantees, the great pillar

Security guarantees appear to be the other major pillar of the process: the United States’ commitment to protecting Ukraine if Russia attacks again. Zelensky insisted that without this framework there will be no lasting peace. Trump, without going into details, suggested that this debate was ongoing and that it would be part of a broader package, negotiated in parallel with Russia and coordinated with European allies.

European support was in fact presented as essential. Trump announced that after the closed-door meeting, he and Zelensky would speak with European leaders. Zelensky had already contacted several of them in the preceding hours. There are fears in Europe that a rushed deal would reward Russian aggression or leave Ukraine in a vulnerable position. Trump tried to allay those doubts by praising the public and promising to keep them informed.

At Mar-a-Lago, Trump sat across from Zelensky with part of his delegation on either side. The American president was accompanied by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth; the chief of staff, Susie Wiles; the Chief of Joint Staff, General Dan Caine; Jared Kushner; the advisor Stephen Miller; the special correspondent Steve Wittkoff and other senior officials.

Trump and Zelensky have met several times since the Republican returned to the White House. They held a tense first meeting in February in the Oval Office, followed by further meetings in August and October in Washington, focusing on security guarantees and military aid. This meeting at Mar-a-Lago is the fourth of the year and the second outside the White House, at a key moment in the negotiation. Trump met Putin in August in Alaska during a summit which bore no fruit, despite the hopes placed in him by the American president.