Donald Trump held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach to discuss a U.S. plan to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Trump had previously also made efforts to stop the war and even claimed he had been successful, even though conflicts between the two nations continue.
While the main agenda behind the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy was to discuss plans to end the war, the former president did not miss the opportunity to bring up his unproven claims of 2020 election rigging. He claimed that if the alleged rigging had not occurred and Joe Biden had not become president, the Russia-Ukraine war would not have happened.
It is worth noting that these election-related allegations have not been proven, and there is no evidence to suggest that Biden came to power through unfair means. Moreover, Trump’s assertion that Biden’s presidency caused the war between Russia and Ukraine has been widely disputed and lacks factual support.
check out the expression on Zelenskyy’s face as Trump claims the war wouldn’t have happened if the 2020 election hadn’t been “rigged and stolen” pic.twitter.com/m1DGkeoA2c
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 28, 2025
However, since the meeting was held to discuss practical ways to stop the war, Trump did not focus on Biden and how he had allegedly caused the conflict, and instead focused on the ongoing war. Trump expressed optimism, saying, “We covered somebody would say 95%, I don’t know what percent, but we have made a lot of progress on ending that war, which is really the certainly the most deadly war since World War Two, probably the biggest war since World War Two.”
Trump also held a lengthy call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before his meeting with Zelenskyy. Referring to both leaders, Trump said, “The two leaders want it to end. I think we can move pretty rapidly. Otherwise it’s going to go on for a very long time.” He further added, “I do think we have the makings of a deal. We have two willing countries. We are in the final stages of talking.”
Trump also praised Zelenskyy, saying, “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.” Detailing his call with Putin, Trump said, “We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things. As you know, I had an excellent phone call with President Putin that lasted for over two hours. We discussed a lot of points, and I do think we’re getting a lot closer.”
The last time Zelensky visited the US, Putin scheduled a call with Trump the day before. It helped turn what Ukraine thought would be a triumphant summit into a disaster.
Now, ahead of Zelensky’s meeting with Trump in Miami today, Putin has repeated the trick… pic.twitter.com/Ez6kAkWwiJ
— max seddon (@maxseddon) December 28, 2025
Zelenskyy also expressed optimism, saying, “We have a great achievements, a 20-point peace plan, 90% agreed, and U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees, 100% agreed. The U.S.-Europe-Ukraine security guarantees almost agreed. Military dimension, 100% agreed. Prosperity plan being finalized, and we also discussed the sequencing of the following actions. And we agree that security guarantees is the key milestone in achieving lasting peace, and our teams will continue working on all aspects,” ABC News reported.
With the meeting reportedly progressing well, it now remains to be seen whether the Russia-Ukraine war can indeed reach a peaceful end and whether Trump can avoid bringing Biden into further discussions on the issue.
