Dalena Reporters l December 29, 2025
Diplomatic efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war saw no breakthrough on territorial disputes following high-level talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Florida, Reuters reports, as both sides acknowledged that key disagreements remain even amid cautious optimism about other parts of a proposed peace framework.
The meeting, held on Sunday, December 28, 2025, was part of U.S. efforts to build support for a 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending more than three years of conflict, but territorial issues blocking a comprehensive deal particularly the fate of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remained unresolved, officials said. Trump told reporters that discussions had brought negotiators “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement but that **“thorny issues” still needed to be addressed before a final peace deal could be reached.
Zelenskiy confirmed that two major points outlined in the peace framework had yet to be resolved: how the disputed territories would be governed and the future status and operation of the Zaporizhzhia facility, currently under Russian control. Kyiv’s position emphasises respect for its laws and territorial integrity, while Russia’s Kremlin spokesman reiterated Moscow’s demand that Ukraine withdraw its forces from parts of the contested Donbas area as a precondition for any settlement, underscoring how far apart the sides remain.
Despite progress on security guarantees for Ukraine, which Trump and Zelenskiy described positively, the lack of agreement on territorial arrangements highlights the persistent diplomatic impasse. The talks are expected to continue into January 2026 with involvement from European partners, but senior officials acknowledge that territorial control issues a core sticking point since the 2022 invasion remain the most difficult obstacles to concluding a peace agreement.