In a significant diplomatic move ahead of a pivotal meeting on the Ukraine war, U.S. President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which he characterized as "good and very productive." The call took place on Sunday, December 28, 2025, just hours before Trump was scheduled to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Diplomatic Maneuvering Before Mar-a-Lago Summit
The Kremlin confirmed the discussion through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as reported by the Interfax news service. The call sets the stage for the face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, where the U.S. president is expected to push for a negotiated peace deal to end the long-running conflict. Zelenskyy's visit to Florida followed a stop in Canada, where he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax and secured a pledge of an additional $2.5 billion in economic aid.
Prior to crossing the Atlantic, the Ukrainian leader was also engaged in a flurry of calls with European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. This coordinated effort was aimed at aligning Western allies on a common stance before engaging with Trump, who has been increasing pressure on Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.
Diverging Positions and Intensified Attacks
The diplomatic activity unfolds against a backdrop of starkly different positions and continued violence. While President Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed readiness for a ceasefire to create space for negotiations, Vladimir Putin has refused Trump's calls for a truce without a prior agreement on a deal's terms. Trump has simultaneously dangled promises of future economic cooperation with Russia to incentivize a settlement.
Russian rhetoric has remained combative. On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Europe of being "the main obstacle to peace," claiming that leaders on the continent, along with Ukraine, showed no readiness for constructive talks.
Meanwhile, Russia spent the weekend conducting a massive bombardment of Ukrainian territory. The assaults included hundreds of drones and missiles targeting Kyiv, leaving parts of the capital without power and damaging critical energy infrastructure. A large strike was also carried out on the southeastern city of Kherson, with emergency repairs now underway across affected regions.
A Complex Path to Peace
The sequence of events—a direct Trump-Putin dialogue, followed immediately by a Trump-Zelenskyy summit—highlights the complex and high-stakes nature of the current peace push. The outcome of the Mar-a-Lago meeting will be closely scrutinized by allies in Canada and Europe, who have provided steadfast military and financial support to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy's coordination with Prime Minister Carney and other Western leaders underscores the importance of maintaining a unified front, even as Trump pursues his own diplomatic channel with Moscow. The coming days will reveal whether this flurry of diplomacy can translate into a tangible reduction in hostilities or a framework for lasting peace, or if the divergent demands will prove too wide to bridge.
