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Ahead of Talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky, Trump Claims Russia “Wants to See Ukraine Succeed”

HeadlineDec 29, 2025

President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at Mar-a-Lago Sunday, where President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine were “maybe very close” to a peace deal. Ahead of the meeting, Russia launched a barrage of drones on Kyiv Saturday in a 10-hour attack, killing two people and injuring 44. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were left without heat as a result of the strikes. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said that the U.S. had offered a security guarantee for 15 years, while he had asked for up to 50 years. Ahead of his meeting with Zelensky, President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.

President Donald Trump: “They’re going to be helping. Russia is going to be helping. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. Once — it sounds a little strange, but I was explaining to the president, President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices.”

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