(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump is confident Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing its end after separate talks with Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.
Trump, in the midst of tough peace negotiations in Europe and the Middle East this week, met with Zelenskyy on Sunday, before welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago later Monday.
After speaking with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump said several big issues still need to be resolved, but he believes a peace deal to end the conflict could be “closer than ever before.”
“We made a lot of progress today, but really we’ve made it over the last month. This is not a one-day process deal,” Trump told reporters.
Sunday’s meeting at Mar-a-Lago marked the fifth time this year Zelenskyy has traveled to the United States to meet with Trump. The Ukrainian president said about 90% of a 20-point peace plan has been agreed upon, but negotiations remain sensitive.
One of the biggest unresolved issues, according to Trump, centers on what to do with Ukrainian territory currently controlled by Russian forces. That land sits in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
Other major sticking points include security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will drop its NATO bid if it gets protection. Russia also wants Ukraine to limit the size of its army moving forward.
Over the weekend, Russia stepped up its drone and missile attacks in Kyiv, killing at least one person.
Trump spoke with Putin over the phone Sunday before meeting with Zelenskyy and said he believes Putin is serious about wanting to end the war and for Ukraine to succeed.