'We have the makings of a deal' Trump-Zelenskyy peace talks begin in Florida
The meeting follows a phone call between Trump and Putin ahead of US peace discussions with Ukraine
President Trump says "nothing is more important" than achieving peace ahead of Mar-a-Lago peace talks with President Zelenskyy.
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Trump went on to say a peace deal would be "good for Ukraine" and could bring them "great economic benefits" if achieved.
"We have two willing parties, we have two willing countries," said the US president. “I think both presidents want to make a deal.”
"It will either end, or it will go on for a long time. If it goes on, millions of additional people will die."
Mr Zelenskyy is meeting with the US leader at his private club in Palm Beach to discuss territorial issues and security guarantees as part of a Ukraine-Russia peace deal.
Mr Trump said that despite talks being in the “final stages”, he does not have a deadline to conclude them.
Read more: Trump and Zelenskyy to meet in Florida for talks on ending Ukraine war
The appearance of the two leaders follows a post by Trump on Truth Social, where he said a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was "good and very productive".
He insisted Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who he spoke to earlier in the day, is “very serious” about peace, despite Moscow launching attacks on Kyiv ahead of the Florida meeting.
He said he had plans to call the Russian leader after the meeting with Mr Zelenskyy.
Ahead of the talks, Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president said he had spoken to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to prepare for the meeting, and he thanked Sir Keir for the “constant co-ordination” after a “detailed phone call” ahead of the talks.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace."
Speaking earlier today, Mr Zelenskyy said the current push for peace constitutes "some of the most active diplomatic days of the year", and that "a lot can be decided before the New Year".
The Ukrainian leader landed in the southern state after a brief stop in Canada, where he met with prime minister Mark Carney on Saturday.
During his time in Canada, Mr Zelenskyy told reporters he would aim to ensure there were “as few unresolved issues as possible” in his upcoming talks with Trump, whilst also respecting Ukraine’s red lines.
On Christmas Eve, Mr Zelenskyy said that the US and Ukraine has reached consensus on a number of central issues.
He also suggested Ukraine was open to creating a demilitarised zone on the country's Eastern border with Russia.
Mr Zelenskyy has said the most recent draft of the peace plan includes a US commitment to provide guarantees mirroring the Nato alliance’s Article 5 - which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies.
However, key details are still to be discussed - including potential territorial concessions.
According to Mr Zelenskyy, Moscow has launched over 2,100 attack drones, around 800 guided aerial bombs, and 94 missiles at Ukraine in the past week - which the Ukrainian leader said "really shows that (Russian president Vladimir) Putin doesn't want peace".
The talks in Florida are the latest stage in Mr Trump’s year-long effort to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, having previously said he would end the war on the first day of his term in office.