Trump leaves door open for Ukraine visit, signals progress toward peace settlement

Following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, US President Donald Trump said significant progress has been made toward a peace settlement and left open the possibility of visiting Ukraine to help advance it.

At a press conference, Trump stressed that most issues are agreed upon, with only “one or two very thorny issues” remaining, Caliber.Az reports.

He emphasised that a personal trip is not required, but expressed willingness to do so to save thousands of lives.

The president also stressed that the Donbas issue is not yet fully resolved, though both sides are close, while Zelenskyy confirmed Kyiv’s position, noting that the territorial question remains one of the most challenging and did not rule out a referendum as part of a peace plan.

Trump highlighted a “major concession” from Vladimir Putin regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, stating that Russia has halted strikes on the facility and discussions are ongoing about its potential operation. 

He also announced the creation of a US working group for negotiations with Russia, including senior White House and administration officials, with Ukrainian participation from the NSC, Foreign Ministry, and General Staff.

Addressing a ceasefire, Trump said Moscow opposes a truce to conduct a referendum but expressed understanding of this stance. 

The American leader expressed hope that remaining disagreements could be resolved within weeks and claimed that Russia has an interest in Ukraine’s success, including through low-cost energy supplies.

By Jeyhun Aghazada