Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2025
December 28, 2025
Russia/Ukraine
Q. Mr. President, do you think Putin is serious about peace this time?
President Trump. I do. I do. I think he is. I think they both are.
Q. What was your message to him? What was your message to Mr. Putin?
President Trump. Got to make a deal. Got to get it done. Too many people dying. And I think both Presidents want to make a deal. We believe that.
[At this point, President Trump addressed President Zelenskyy.] I'd better brief you on my call. [Inaudible]
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia/Ukraine Conflict
Q. Will you meet Putin again soon?
President Trump. Depends. Depends. I do believe that we have the makings of a deal that's good for Ukraine, good for everybody. Very important. There's nothing more important, in my book.
We settled eight wars, and this is the most difficult one. I thought it would be in the middle of the pack. This is the most difficult one. But we're going to get it done. We're going to have a great meeting today. This gentleman has worked very hard. He's very brave, and his people are very brave. I mean, what they've gone through, no nation—very rarely has a nation ever had to go through this.
So we're going to have a very good meeting today, I think. And I'm also calling President Putin back after the meeting, and we'll continue a negotiation. Pretty complex, but not that complex.
[Several reporters began asking questions at once.]
U.S. Diplomatic Efforts
Q. Can you meet the New Year's Day deadline?
President Trump. I don't have deadlines. I have—you know what my deadline is? Getting the war ended. We don't have deadlines. You agree with that?
President Zelenskyy. [Inaudible]
Ukraine-U.S. Security Cooperation
Q. Are you prepared to sign security agreement today?
President Trump. Well, it depends what the security agreement says. What a dumb question.
Nobody even knows what the security agreement is going to say. But there will be a security agreement. It will be a strong agreement. And the European nations are very much involved in that. They'll be very much involved in protection, et cetera.
But the European nations have been really great. They're very much in line with this meeting, and we're getting a deal done. They are all—they're terrific people. I think you can say that. There's no—nobody bad. They all want to get it done, and they've been very supportive, I think.
President, do you have anything to say?
President Zelenskyy. Thank you so much, Mr. President. And thank you for this meeting and thank you for your invitation.
Yes, really, I agree with President. We our teams, they do what they can, and I think that during last month, they moved forward with negotiations. And the Americans—thank you very much for your team, for Steve and Jared. And they worked very well. They worked on different documents, and I hope that all these documents can bring peace as quick as possible.
So, and I agree with President that the Europeans—[inaudible]. The President is—[inaudible]—with them. Maybe we'll have contact with them.
President Trump. We could call them today. I think we should call them.
President Zelenskyy. Yes, maybe today.
Q. What made you want to come in person to meet the President today?
President Zelenskyy. Sorry?
Q. What made you want to come here to Mar-a-Lago to meet the President today?
President Zelenskyy. What can—what——
Q. Why——
Q. Why today?
President Zelenskyy. Why? So we have—we spoke about our teams. They worked on 20-points plan. Then they worked prosperity and security document. And 20-points plan is very important we have to discuss—and sequencing. It's very important our teams talk about strategy, how to do—make step by step and to bring peace on those. And we will discuss this strategy.
Ukraine/Russia
Q. Mr. President, are you willing to make territorial concessions?
President Zelenskyy. We will speak about 20-points plan. There is—there are—there—in 20-points plan, 90 percent, by the way, was done by our two teams. I think they made a great job, great work. And yes, we will discuss these points also.
President Trump. And there are great economic benefits for Ukraine also, because, you know, there's a lot of rebuilding to do, and there's a lot of wealth to be had, and they have great wealth. Potentially, they have great wealth. They want to get started, but there's a great economic benefit for Ukraine in what we're talking about.
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia/Ukraine Conflict
Q. President Trump, some are saying that the recent attacks in the past couple days on—that Russia has staged against Ukraine shows that President Putin isn't serious about peace. What is your reaction to that?
President Trump. No, he's very serious. I think, you know, I can say that I believe Ukraine has made some very strong attacks also. And I don't say that negatively. I think you probably have to. I don't say that negatively. You understand?
But I think—now, he hasn't told me that—but there have been some explosions in various parts of Russia, and it looks to me like, I don't know, I don't think it came from the Congo. I don't think it came from the United States of America. It possibly came from Ukraine. But I haven't asked that question. Maybe I won't bother asking.
No, they have—they're fighting a war, and we'll see what happens. But I believe it's a war that we have two willing parties, we have two willing countries—they want to see it end. Look, the people of Ukraine want it to end, and the people of Russia want it to end, and the two leaders want it to end.
Ukraine/Russia
Q. Mr. President, on the economic benefits for Ukraine, Europe is holding some billions in frozen Russian assets. Do you believe that should go to Ukraine to help rebuild or go back to Russia at the end of the war?
President Trump. None of that that has been determined. But it will go—it's going to go very quickly. I think we're very—we're in final stages of talking, and we're going to see. Otherwise, it's going to go on for a long time. It will either end or it's going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed. Millions. And nobody wants that.
Q. Does that mean that you're expecting to get to an agreement today? [Several reporters spoke at once.]
President Trump. What?
Q. Mr. President, would you say you're——
U.S. Diplomatic Efforts
Q. When you say—when you say that you think it will either end or go on for a long time, and you say you don't have a deadline, so what are you expecting out of today's meeting?
President Trump. I just think we can do—I think we can move very rapidly. I really feel that.
We've spoken. I know you had dinner with Steve. Steve Witkoff and Jared have done a fantastic job, and everybody has. Marco has been incredible. The whole group has been—our group has been incredible.
And Ukraine appreciates it, and Russia appreciates it. They both want to see it end, and we're going to get it ended.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
President Zelenskyy. Thank you so much.
President Trump. We'll see you, I think, at the end, but I do think we'll call Europe also.
We're going to speak to the European leaders.
Thank you very much.
President Zelenskyy. Thank you.
NOTE: The President spoke at 1:26 p.m. at the Mar-a-Lago Club. In his remarks, he referred to
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steven C. Witkoff; and Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio. He also referred to his son-in-law Jared C. Kushner. The transcript was released by the Office of Communications on January 1, 2026.
Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, Palm Beach, FL; Meetings With Foreign Leaders and International Officials : Ukraine, President Zelenskyy.
Locations: Palm Beach, FL.
Names: Kushner, Jared C.; Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Rubio, Marco A.; Witkoff, Steven C.; Zelenskyy, Volodymyr.
Subjects: Florida, President's visit; Russia, conflict in Ukraine; Russia, President; Secretary of State; U.S. diplomatic efforts, expansion; U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions; Ukraine, President; Ukraine, Russian invasion and airstrikes; Ukraine, security cooperation with U.S.
DCPD Number: DCPD202501222.