KEY POINTS
- Trump holds “positive” call with Putin a day after meeting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago.
- Moscow accused Kyiv of a drone attack on Putin’s residence.
- Trump said a temporary ceasefire would not work but remains committed to peace.
- Zelensky stressed any peace plan must involve Ukraine, Russia, the US, and Europe.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump held a “positive” telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, the White House said, a day after Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“President Trump has concluded a positive call with President Putin concerning Ukraine,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, confirming the second conversation between the leaders in two days.
President Trump has concluded a positive call with President Putin concerning Ukraine.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 29, 2025
Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that the phone call between the two leaders took place, TASS news agency reported.
Ushakov added that Putin was briefed by Trump and his senior advisers about the negotiations with Ukraine.
The call came as Moscow accused Kyiv of launching a drone attack on Putin’s residence in northern Russia and warned that it would “revise” its negotiating position on ending the Ukraine war.
Ushakov said Putin told Trump that Russia would review its position in peace negotiations after a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian presidential residence.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russia of attempting to undermine US-led diplomatic efforts.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team,” Zelensky said on social media.
He called the alleged strike on Putin’s residence a “complete fabrication” and said it was being used to justify further attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine had tried to attack Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region with 91 long-range drones.
He claimed all drones were destroyed, with no casualties or damage. Lavrov described the attack as “state terrorism” and said Moscow had already selected targets for potential retaliatory strikes.
Trump, Zelensky meeting in Florida
Trump hosted Zelensky on December 28 at Mar-a-Lago. The leaders held bilateral talks lasting more than two hours, followed by a video conference with European leaders.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump spoke with Putin by phone. Trump said he had “a good and very productive” phone call with Putin ahead of his meeting with Zelensky.
After the talks with Zelensky, Trump said a deal to end nearly four years of war was closer than ever, though he acknowledged that key issues remained unresolved.
“It’s unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer,” Trump said, referring to the territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine.
He added that an agreement could be reached within weeks, but a deal was not guaranteed.
Trump also confirmed that a temporary ceasefire during arrangements for a Ukrainian referendum would not work.
“Not a ceasefire, and that’s one of the points that we’re working on right now,” he said. Trump added that he was “on the side of peace” and believed a solution would be found.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said the two presidents “generally shared the view that a temporary ceasefire proposed by the Ukrainians and Europeans would only prolong the conflict and could lead to a resumption of hostilities.”
Kyiv seeks four-party agreement
On Monday, Zelensky told journalists that any peace plan must be endorsed by four parties: Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and Europe.
“Any plan must be signed by four sides: Ukraine, Europe, America and Russia,” he said.
Kyiv also proposed hosting a meeting with European and American officials at adviser level to begin drafting documents to end the war.
Security guarantees remain Ukraine’s top priority. Zelensky said the US had offered 15-year guarantees, with the possibility of an extension, but Kyiv seeks a much longer period.
“I told him that we really want to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years,” Zelensky said, referring to Trump. He added that Trump had said he would consider the request.
Other unresolved issues include territorial disputes and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control.
Zelensky also called for international troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees, a proposal Russia has repeatedly rejected.
Kremlin’s demands
Meanwhile, Moscow reiterated longstanding demands, including that Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Donbas region.
Russian forces continue to capture territory in eastern Ukraine and insist they will retain all land under their control. On Monday, Moscow reported capturing the village of Dibrova in Donetsk.
Following the Florida meeting, Trump and Zelensky announced the creation of working groups to address unresolved issues.
The US group will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, special envoy Steve Witkoff, businessman Jared Kushner, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane.
Ukraine’s group will include Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov, and First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa.
Zelensky said around 90 percent of the peace plan had been agreed, with security guarantees between the US and Ukraine “100 percent agreed.” He also indicated that Ukraine could approve the deal through parliament rather than a referendum.
European leaders express concern
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Russia sees Britain’s influence in what he called Ukraine’s latest “provocations” aimed at disrupting the peace process, state news agency TASS reported.
European leaders, who joined the discussions by video link, have expressed concern that any settlement could embolden Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “good progress” had been made during the talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a further meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Paris in early January.
Zelensky said he and European leaders could return jointly for talks with Trump in Washington next month.
