In a post to Truth Social on Sunday, President Donald J. Trump revealed he had a “good and very productive” telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, just hours before his scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has dragged on for nearly four years, claiming countless lives and draining billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Trump’s statement read in full:
I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The meeting will take place in the main dining room of Mar-a-Lago. Press is invited. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT
The invitation for the press to attend the Zelenskyy meeting at Mar-a-Lago’s main dining room is a bold move, promoting transparency in contrast to the secretive dealings of past administrations.
Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence and de facto “Southern White House,” has hosted numerous high-profile summits during his presidencies, including meetings with world leaders like China’s Xi Jinping and Japan’s Shinzo Abe.
The meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM local time in the main dining room.
Zelenskyy arrived in Florida earlier today, expressing optimism about the talks while noting that 90% of a proposed 20-point peace framework has been agreed upon, though key sticking points remain.
The war, now in its fourth year, has seen Russia occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea (annexed in 2014) and parts of the Donbas region.
Under Biden, the U.S. poured over $150 billion into Ukraine, money Trump has called a “waste” that could have been better spent securing America’s borders and economy.
Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, mutual troop withdrawals, and a demilitarized zone in contested areas like Donbas.
Ukraine has insisted on referendums for any territorial concessions and seeks ironclad security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe, potentially modeled after NATO’s Article 5, which would require Senate ratification.
