Florida talks could unblock first call between Zelenskyy and Putin in five years - Fox News
Kyiv • UNN
Talks between Trump and Zelenskyy could pave the way for Zelenskyy's first call with Putin in over five years. This would be a diplomatic victory for Trump, who is considered the most successful mediator.
Sunday's talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could pave the way for the first call between Zelenskyy and the Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in over five years, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, Fox News reports, writes UNN.
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And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was presented as a step forward in peace efforts with Trump at the helm, the source also described how securing a direct phone call between Zelenskyy and Putin would be a "diplomatic victory" for the US president.
"If Putin had joined the conversation on Sunday, it would have been the biggest achievement in preparing peace talks and the first real step in the peace process," a source told Fox News on condition of anonymity.
"It would be a diplomatic victory for President Trump," the source noted.
"Trump seems to be the most successful mediator because the two of them, Putin and Zelenskyy, are emotionally receptive to each other, and that's a challenge," the source indicated.
On Sunday, Trump confirmed that he had spoken with Putin before the Zelenskyy meeting, calling the conversation "good and very productive" in a Truth Social post.
"I really believe we have the makings of a deal," Trump also told reporters, standing next to Zelenskyy after his arrival in Florida on Sunday, adding that he believed the process could "move very quickly."
"I think we are in the final stages of negotiations, and we'll see," Trump said.
"Otherwise, it will last a long time. Either it will end, or it will last a long time, and millions of people will be killed," the US president added.
The meeting in Florida came days after Zelenskyy also said he had a "good conversation" with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were also present on Sunday.
"According to the source, Zelenskyy was probably anxious before Sunday's meeting," the publication writes.
"Zelenskyy is usually very nervous before such conversations with President Trump," the source said. "He focuses for a long time and studies the notes prepared for him by the Department of International Policy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Sunday marked the third in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump returned to office.
At the center of the discussions was a US-backed 20-point peace plan that emerged from weeks of negotiations, "which will require compromise from Kyiv and Moscow to engage and perhaps communicate directly with Zelenskyy," the source said.
"The only difficulty they have is that Putin has refused to speak with Zelenskyy since July 2020, when they talked about the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to detain Russian Wagner fighters," the source said. "After that, Zelenskyy repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused."
"There were windows of opportunity for a conversation in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region," the source said.
"Until that point in 2020, calls between Zelenskyy and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During the negotiations, Putin was always taciturn, and Zelenskyy tried to establish rapport," the source noted.