EU is ‘main obstacle’ to peace in Ukraine, says Russia’s foreign minister – POLITICO

Lavrov’s comments were published as Zelenskyy headed in Florida to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-lago estate to resume talks on proposals to end the conflict with Russia. The meeting is expected to start at 1 p.m. Florida time (7 p.m. in Brussels).

Trump later Sunday said on social media that he “just had a good and very productive telephone call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with the Ukrainian leader. Trump gave no details about the call.

The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting follows weeks of negotiations by envoys from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia since the U.S. president proposed a 28-point peace plan in November. The proposal has been revised to 20 points, with Zelenskyy presenting the details to journalists in Kyiv last week.

Zelenskyy said on Sunday that “much can be resolved by the New Year.” He added in a statement on Telegram: “But whether there will be solutions depends on our partners. On those who help Ukraine and on those who put pressure on Russia so that the Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression.”  

Early Saturday, Moscow pummeled the Ukrainian capital with one of its heaviest air assaults in recent weeks. Zelenskyy said Putin’s continued attacks on Ukraine demonstrated why strong security guarantees are “our most important consideration” in discussing peace proposals. Territorial control of the Donbas region and management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are also important issues to be determined in the peace talks, he said.

Zelenskyy spoke with several EU leaders ahead of his U.S. visit during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday.

“Strong positions are needed both at the front and in diplomacy to prevent Putin from manipulating and evading a real and just end to the war. The world has sufficient strength to guarantee security and peace,” Zelenskyy said in a statement late Saturday.