Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky said progress was made in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine during a meeting in Florida, though several key issues remain unresolved. The meeting took place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on Sunday, where the two leaders discussed a revised peace plan, elements of which Russia has previously rejected.

Zelensky stated on Monday that the U.S. had offered security guarantees for a 15-year period. Trump indicated on Sunday that an agreement on this specific point was "close to 95" complete. However, details regarding the future of Ukraine's Donbas region, a territory Russia seeks to fully control, remain scarce.

The Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, has been a significant point of contention in negotiations. Moscow currently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and about 99% of Luhansk, according to Reuters. Trump told reporters after the talks that a deal on Donbas remained "unresolved, but it's getting a lot closer." Russia has consistently shown unwillingness to compromise on its objective of seizing full control of the region.

The conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, escalating significantly with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Numerous attempts at negotiation have yielded limited success, primarily due to disagreements over territorial integrity and security guarantees. The involvement of external actors, such as the United States, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

The current status of negotiations remains fluid. While both Trump and Zelensky expressed optimism regarding progress, the "thorny issues," particularly concerning the Donbas region, present significant obstacles. Future developments will likely depend on further diplomatic efforts and the willingness of all parties to compromise.