President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he believes Russia and Ukraine are “closer than ever” to reaching a peace deal that would finally bring about an end to the carnage and bloodshed of the last nearly four years of war.
“In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other,” Trump said in a Mar-a-Lago press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he also revealed that he’d spoken at length to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day. “It’s been a very difficult negotiation.”
.@POTUS delivers remarks upon meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr @ZelenskyyUa at Mar-a-Lago: “We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things. As you know, I had an excellent phone call with President Putin… and I do think we’re getting a lot closer.” pic.twitter.com/tIHjR0wko2
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 28, 2025
“We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things. As you know, I had an excellent phone call with President Putin,” Trump said as the press conference began. “And I do think we’re getting a lot closer … We could be very close. There are one or two very thorny issues … but I think we’re doing very well. We made a lot of progress today.”
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Trump went on to explain that Zelensky might need to take any deal upon which the leaders agreed to the parliament or to the people via a referendum — but, he added, “Everybody wants [the war] ended… I want it ended because I don’t want to see so many people dying.”
The president then took a number of questions — and when asked about the “thorny issues” he’d mentioned earlier, Trump said that was almost entirely to do with the land that had been seized by Russian military forces and who would control it once the ink was dry: “The land, they’re talking about. Some of that land has been taken, some of that land is maybe up for grabs, some of that land may be taken over the next couple of months … You’re better off making a deal now.”
Another reporter asked for a timeline, wondering how long it might take to get a deal across the finish line if they were, in fact, “closer than ever.” Trump’s response was simple: “In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other… it’s been a very difficult negotiation.”
Reflecting on his earlier phone call with Putin, Trump said that the Russian president had seemed different than in past interactions.
“I saw a very interesting President Putin today,” he said. “I think we’re going to get there. .. I was on the phone with him for almost two-and-a-half hours. We discussed a lot of things. We didn’t talk about the weather.”
.@POTUS on his call with Putin: “I saw a very interesting President Putin today… I think we’re going to get there… I was on the phone with him for almost two-and-a-half hours. We discussed a lot of things. We didn’t talk about the weather.” pic.twitter.com/DUilLAh6lc
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 28, 2025
“I really believe we’re probably, Mr. President, closer than — by far — closer than ever before with both parties,” Trump declared, and when he looked over at Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader nodded his agreement.
