Trump touts 'productive' call with Putin ahead of Zelensky talks

Washington [US], December 29: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had a "very productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, shortly before he was to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida.
"I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without giving further details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the call to Russian news agencies but declined to comment on its substance.
The conversation came ahead of talks between Trump and Zelensky at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, scheduled for 1pm (1800 GMT), as part of the latest diplomatic push to end the war launched by Russia in February 2022.
Zelensky, who arrived in Florida earlier on Sunday, was set to push for a revised peace plan in his discussion with Trump.
He urged Ukraine's allies to increase pressure on Moscow.
"These are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year right now, and a lot can be decided before the New Year," Zelensky wrote on social media after touching down.
"We are doing everything toward this, but whether decisions will be made depends on our partners - those who help Ukraine, and those who put pressure on Russia so that Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression."
The Ukrainian leader is seeking Trump's backing for a 20-point framework after the Trump administration in late November unveiled a 28-point proposal that unsettled Kiev and its allies by echoing several Russian positions.
Zelensky and European partners have since worked on the alternative plan, including during recent meetings in Berlin and Miami with senior Trump administration officials, while Washington has also held separate talks with Moscow.
Zelensky said he planned to use the meeting to outline Ukraine's "red lines" in any negotiations, stressing that Western security guarantees would be essential in the event of a ceasefire to prevent renewed Russian attacks.
Other sticking points include the fate of the contested Donbass area of eastern Ukraine and control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russia since the early days of the war.
Russia is not involved in the Florida talks, and Kremlin reactions to the negotiations have been muted.
Despite declaring a willingness to negotiate, Putin has so far maintained maximalist demands, including claims over the Donbass - which is composed of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Moscow does not fully control militarily.
Source: Qatar Tribune