Washington / Kyiv — Monday, 29 December 2025 —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin could speak directly for the first time in more than five years, following high-level talks between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump in Florida. As The WP Times reports, citing Fox News, the discussions in Mar-a-Lago have opened a diplomatic channel that could lead to the first direct contact between the two leaders since 2020.

The development would mark a dramatic shift in a conflict that has been defined by the absence of direct communication between the two leaders since 2020. The potential call comes after Zelenskyy met Trump on Sunday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, in what US officials described as a key step in renewed peace efforts led by Washington.

Fox News, citing a source familiar with the discussions, reported that Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy was designed to “clear the way” for a direct line of communication between Kyiv and Moscow. The source said a call between Zelenskyy and Putin would represent the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“If Putin joins the process now, it would be the biggest step towards formal peace talks so far,” the source said.

A US-backed peace framework

At the centre of the Florida talks was a US-supported 20-point peace plan that has been drafted over several weeks of negotiations between Washington, Kyiv and European partners. The framework would require painful concessions on both sides and is designed to bring both Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table.

American officials believe that without direct contact between Zelenskyy and Putin, no sustainable ceasefire or political settlement is possible. The plan aims to create conditions under which Moscow and Kyiv would engage in formal negotiations under US and international mediation.

Trump, who has positioned himself as a deal-maker in global diplomacy, has reportedly held recent conversations with Putin as well as Zelenskyy. He has told advisers that both leaders are more likely to accept a deal if it is brokered personally by him.

Why the dialogue collapsed

Direct contact between the two presidents effectively ended in July 2020, following a crisis linked to a failed operation involving suspected Wagner Group mercenaries. Since then, Putin has repeatedly declined to speak with Zelenskyy, despite multiple attempts by Kyiv to reopen channels of communication.

According to Fox News, relations between the two men were already strained long before Russia launched its invasion. One source described Putin as distant and guarded, while Zelenskyy repeatedly tried to establish a working relationship.

“There was never any warmth between them,” the source said. “Putin spoke little. Zelenskyy tried to engage. The imbalance only deepened over time.”

Opportunities for renewed talks reportedly emerged in August and September 2024, but collapsed after Ukrainian forces advanced into Russia’s Kursk region, escalating tensions again.

Trump’s growing role

Trump has made the Ukraine war a central pillar of his foreign-policy agenda. Before meeting Zelenskyy, he said he had held a “very productive” call with Putin and that further talks were planned.

The White House has also assembled a special negotiating team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and retired General Jack Keane. Their mandate is to explore pathways to talks with Moscow and outline security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump has publicly stated that Russia is seeking to expand its territorial gains, making rapid diplomacy urgent. He has also indicated that the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was discussed at length, calling it one of the most sensitive issues in any settlement.

Whether a three-way conversation between Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin will take place remains unclear. But diplomats in Washington, Brussels and Geneva say the possibility of a direct Zelenskyy-Putin call — the first in five years — would be a decisive moment in the effort to end Europe’s deadliest war in generations.

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