At Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky sat across from a buoyant Donald Trump as they discussed a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump delivered a string of remarks praising Vladimir Putin, prompting Zelensky to respond with a restrained smile and a raised eyebrow. Trump suggested that Russia’s leader was generous toward Ukraine’s progress and acknowledged that some of his remarks sounded unusual.
Zelensky listened, nodding, before muttering a dry “Yeah.” Trump insisted he had a cordial connection with Putin and argued that the so-called Russia hoax was a hoax, while he blamed Joe Biden for the war—though he claimed to be “on the side of peace” and said he understood Putin’s opposition to a ceasefire. The event unfolded as Kyiv and its allies faced new Russian drone strikes during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that left civilians dead and prompted bipartisan criticism of Putin.
In response, lawmakers on both sides reminded that Putin is a “ruthless murderer.” The White House offered a pointed jab at the media’s coverage rather than provide a detailed comment. Zelensky later said the peace plan was “90 percent” complete, a figure he has cited before. The scene at Mar-a-Lago underscored the tension between Trump’s sympathetic view of Putin and Zelensky’s push for a concrete peace process, illustrating how U.S.-Ukraine diplomacy continues to wrestle with rhetoric even as the war rages on.