Posted on 12/28/2025 12:09:35 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace, as he welcomed the “brave” Ukrainian leader for talks at his Florida resort.
“The two leaders want it to end,” Trump said at the outset of the meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Before Zelenskyy arrived, Trump spoke with Putin by phone for more than an hour, and planned to speak with him again soon after.
Greeting Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said of him: “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.”
Zelenskyy, by Trump’s side, said he’d discuss issues of territorial concessions with Trump, which have so far been a red line for his country. He said his negotiators and Trump’s “have discussed how to move step by step and bring peace closer” and would continue to do so in the meeting.
Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s capital in the days before the meeting.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, said the Trump-Putin call was initiated by the U.S. side, lasted over an hour, and was “friendly, benevolent, and businesslike.” Ushakov said Trump and Putin agreed to speak again “promptly” after Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy.
But Ushakov added that a “bold, responsible, political decision is needed from Kyiv” on the fiercely contested Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and other matters in dispute for there to be a “complete cessation” of hostilities.
In overnight developments, three guided aerial bombs launched by Russia struck private homes in the eastern city of Sloviansk, according to the head of the local military administration, Vadym Lakh. Three people were injured and one man died, Lakh said in a post on the Telegram messenger app.
The strike came the day after Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles and drones on...
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Pretty sad when both parties “want it to end” but neither wants “victory”. Makes you wonder if they truly want it to end.
A war economy is usually a profitable economy, if you’re on the winning side.
I think Ukraine’s latest proposal that if it is expected to give up land along the current contested front lines, then Russia should have to give up an equal amount on the other side, to form a large non-militarized zone, is the best and fair offer of compromise yet.
Of course I expect it to be ridiculed and discounted immediately by the Russians, but it is likely the only proposal that requires ceding territory that would ever be accepted by Ukraine, due to the apparent fairness of it. Hopefully Trump will at least not shoot it down as quickly as the Russians will attempt to, as it might not reflect well on his attempts to be an honest broker.
Trump knows the Z-man is playing him against the EU. I hope Trump has something for his gay orifice.
Another thing named opposite to what it does.
"Demilitarized zones" entail highly "militarized zones" on both sides of the mythical "demilitarized zone."
No, thanks.
Thanks edie.
bribe </covfefe>
Hard to see how Russia does not have the stronger hand.
China is cutting off magnets for drone motors to the non BRICS militaries, particularly after last week’s $11B weapons package for Taiwan (which can’t be filled because) and China in about 3 days announced sanctions of US defense firms and various individuals in them, including Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon. No neodymium magnets means no electric motors.
That cut off doesn’t extend to Russia. And, of course, the EU’s big money package to be used to build weapons . . . can’t happen without those magnets.
Hard to see how Russia does not have the overwhelming hand.
Russia doesn’t want peace, they want Ukraine.
Don’t start with a lie.
Also
This reporter is from Kyiv
Video
Trump snaps at a reporter: “What a dumb question. Nobody even knows what the security agreement is going to state.”
https://rumble.com/v73kqlc-trump-snaps-at-a-reporter-what-a-dumb-question.html
💕You’re so welcome, aspasia
Nice to meet you.
putin does NOT want to end it!
That’s just not true, imo.
He has no gay orifice. Are you obsessed?
“Russia doesn’t want peace, they want Ukraine.
Don’t start with a lie.”
Exactly right! putin is an evil man, imo.
The proposal for the demilitarized zone requires it be only populated by international peacekeeping forces, not Ukraine or Russian forces. Any penetration by either side would automatically trigger a major international response against the perpetrators.
I’d call that infinitely better than allowing both sides to be armed to the teeth right up against one another again. The demilitarized zone has worked well in Korea, one of the most contested borders on the planet.
You can stack up anything you can think of done by China, but you lack perspective.
Russia is losing out to China.
Russia has devastated a generation.
Russia is suffering under sanctions.
Russia is not winning any big victory.
Rare earths and China are not because of Russia or the Ukraine war. Nor will giving Russia anything resolve that issue.
Trump wants ‘deals’ and ‘peace’ at any price, which will inevitably end up badly for the USA. Trump hasn’t had the guts to actually pull support from the Ukraine and stop arming their forces.
If he ends up getting his ‘deal’ with mineral rights, it will cost us by committing us to some future war.
It’s a good proposal but Russia wants Ukraine demilitarized, with Russia occupying the fortress cities that would allow it to pour into Ukraine.
Putin likely will only respond to military defeat, or even more to any threat to himself.
Which future war is that? The fantasy world of the EU invading Russia?
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