As Zelensky prepares to meet Trump in US, is end to Russia-Ukraine war close?

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump is all set to host his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Sunday. This comes as part of Trump’s efforts to bring about an end, or at the least a significant phase of ceasefire, to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The two heads of state will meet at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida.

While it is not the first time that the two, Zelensky and Trump, will be meeting in the US to talk about prospects of ending the war, this time there has been significant progress in talks between the two warring parties and a new peace plan by Trump in place.

Of the attempts at a renewed action for peace, Zelensky said the two planned to discuss security and economic agreements. He also said that he will raise "territorial issues” with the US President, something which remains as the key to bring about any semblance of peace between the two parties. "Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted Saturday on X. "We need to be strong at the negotiating table.”

Meanwhile as Zelensky gears up for his meeting with Trump, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine. With major missiles and drones to attack on Kyiv, the Kremlin is increasing pressure on Zelensky at the same time as he looks to find US support to end the war. 

Attempts to bring about peace between the two parties have been going on for some time now, not just by the US, which remains the principal part for conversation, but also by the EU.

Trump’s and Zelensky’s meeting comes at the back of many such developments. Prime among them have been Trump’s top negotiators who have in recent weeks been adamantly pushing a peace proposal to both the warring sides. Of the peace plan Zelensky told reporters on Friday that the peace proposal floated by Trump has been discussed and is "about 90% ready”.

The peace talks appear to be going well from the perspective of Ukraine which has been given many encouraging signs from the US. Principal among them include security guarantees similar to those offered to other members of NATO. This point was stressed by the US after Ukraine agreed that it would consider it would be willing to drop its bid to join NATO for a peace proposal. 

Despite these positives, the main point of contention between the two pertains to territorial accession between the two. After Trump’s meeting with Zelensky at the White House in October, he reiterated his demand that both Russia and Ukraine "stop at the battle line,” which many saw as him implying that Russia would be able to obtain the territory it had acquired till that point.

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Such stipulations in the peace plan though have not been agreeable to Ukraine. Thus before Sunday’s meeting, Zelensky reportedly made it clear that points including those related to territory, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and funding for Ukraine’s postwar recovery would be paramount. It is clear from Ukraine’s recent stances that while it would be willing to some some compromises, like forgoing its NATO membership, what it would not likely agree to is forgoing claims to large parts of its territory, and it is here that the US President would have to act and try to bring about the best settlement between the two parties.

While using methods like enforcing sanctions on Russia, by both the US and the EU, might work for a while, Russia has till now been able to successfully circumvent these. Thus, a minimal accession to Russia in terms of land acquired and maximum promises of future security arrangements to Ukraine appear as currently the most likely way to bring about any sort of agreement between Russia and Ukraine. This can at the least be the starting point from where an initial ceasefire agreement can be drawn and can be pivoted further later.