Russia, Ukraine appear closer to peace as Zelenskyy confirms meeting with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that he will meet with President Donald Trump on Sunday, likely to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Rustem Umerov reported on his latest contacts with the American side. We are not wasting a single day. We agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. Many things can be decided before the new year,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Zelensky reportedly confirmed in a WhatsApp conversation with Ukrainian journalists that the meeting would take place on Sunday, according to NBC News. He told reporters it was unclear “whether territorial issues would be discussed.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, August 19, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The meeting could signal that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a peace deal after Trump said last month he would not meet with Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin until a deal ending the war is final or in the final stages.

“Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress toward ending the war between Russia and Ukraine…I look forward to meeting soon, hopefully, with President Zelensky and President Putin, but ONLY when the agreement to end this war is FINAL or in its final stages,” Trump wrote in a November 25 Truth Social article.

On Friday, Zelensky also said he had a “very substantive and positive conversation” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, another sign that Russia and Ukraine may be closer to an agreement.

“We coordinated our positions before the meetings in Florida and we must work with maximum productivity in the coming days, as always,” Zelensky wrote on

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a “special report” on Tuesday that his relations with President Donald Trump had improved. (Ukrainian Presidency/Document/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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The announcement of Sunday’s meeting comes just a day after Zelensky expressed optimism about progress in peace negotiations following a conversation with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Zelenskyy said the Christmas conversation focused on ongoing efforts to end the war and move toward lasting peace.

Earlier this week, Zelensky said Ukraine and the United States were close to finalizing a framework of security guarantees and economic arrangements linked to a possible peace deal. He also told a news conference that discussions with U.S. officials resulted in a 20-point plan, a reduction from the initial 28-point plan proposed by Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via Reuters/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)

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Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in the United States on Dec. 20 that peace talks with Ukraine were constructive, even though Russian forces launched a missile strike on Odessa that killed eight and injured 27. Despite peace talks, Russia’s efforts against Ukraine have continued into their third year of war following Putin’s February 2022 invasion.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Ashley Carnahan and Efrat Lachter of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.