EU leaders welcomed renewed momentum in US-led peace talks between Ukraine and Russia after a meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but stressed that any agreement must include firm and lasting security guarantees for Kyiv.
We had a good, one-hour-long call with @POTUS, President @ZelenskyyUa and several European leaders to discuss their meeting today on peace negotiations.
There was good progress, which we welcomed.
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Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 28, 2025
Trump said after yesterday’s meeting a deal to end the war was “closer than ever”. However, he admitted difficult issues remained unresolved, after meeting Zelensky at his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence.
The talks followed a series of diplomatic exchanges involving European and NATO leaders, highlighting Europe’s insistence on being closely involved in the process.
Before the meeting, Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky meanwhile spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a stopover in Canada.
Asked about recent Russian strikes on Kyiv, Trump rejected the suggestion Russian President Vladimir Putin was not serious about peace. “No, he’s very serious,” he said after his phone call, adding Ukraine had also carried out “very strong” attacks.
Carney and Zelensky also contacted a range of counterparts, including the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. They also spoke with representatives of NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council.
European leaders reacted cautiously, underlining the importance of seeing concrete outcomes. They reiterated security guarantees for Ukraine would be essential, even as they thanked the United States for its continued engagement. Some European officials have viewed such support as less predictable since Trump returned to office.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he took part in an exchange with Trump and Zelensky alongside several other European leaders. In a post on X, Macron said discussions were progressing on security guarantees, which he described as central to achieving a “just and lasting peace.” He added that the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” would meet in Paris in early January to finalise concrete national contributions.
Along with several other European leaders, I took part this evening in an exchange with Presidents @ZelenskyyUa and @realDonaldTrump. I then spoke with President Zelensky.
We are making progress on the security guarantees that will be central to building a just and lasting…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 29, 2025
Zelensky also struck a constructive tone after his meeting with the US President. In a statement on X, he thanked Trump for what he called a “great meeting,” saying both sides agreed security guarantees were key to lasting peace and that their teams would meet as early as next week to finalise outstanding issues.
I thank President Trump @POTUS and his team for the negotiations. I thank the United States for its support. Together, we must – and can – implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace. pic.twitter.com/YklMUd62BA
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2025
In a separate post, Zelensky said that “these are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year right now, and a lot can be decided before the New Year”. Progress, he added, would depend on partners supporting Ukraine and applying sufficient pressure on Russia, so Moscow “feels the consequences of its own aggression.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed what she described as “good progress” after she held a one-hour call with Trump, Zelensky and several European leaders.
Writing on X, she said that “ironclad security guarantees from day one” were paramount to any peace effort.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wished Zelensky “good luck” ahead of the meeting.
European Council President António Costa pointed to recent EU decisions securing funding for Ukraine over the next two years, in immobilising Russian sovereign assets and extending sanctions against Moscow. A strong Ukraine anchored in the EU, he argued, would itself constitute a core security guarantee.
Good luck @ZelenskyyUa
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 28, 2025
EU funding arrangements and the decision not directly to use frozen Russian assets held in Belgium were finalised earlier in December after difficult negotiations among member states. Sanctions against Russia, now in their 19th package, have been repeatedly extended since the start of the war. The effects of the energy imports ban included in the sanctions package have started to show in recent weeks.
The EU has prepared itself to fund Ukraine for another two years of war.
Despite Trump’s optimistic tone, he avoided setting a deadline for ending the conflict, saying coming weeks would indicate whether a breakthrough was possible.
Several major issues remain unresolved.
One of the main sticking points is the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia seeks to control fully while Ukrainian forces still hold parts of the territory. Trump described this as a “very tough issue,” though he said talks were moving in the right direction. Zelensky has floated options including a buffer zone or the creation of a free economic zone.
Another unresolved question concerns the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which remains under Russian occupation. Zelensky has said the facility will be vital for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
While less optimistic than Trump, Zelensky said US security guarantees were “100 per cent agreed” and that a broader 20-point peace plan had been approved in principle by around 90 per cent.
He later said Washington had proposed “solid” security guarantees for an initial period of 15 years, extendable over time, adding he had asked Trump to consider guarantees lasting several decades.
