Phone call between Zelensky and Putin possible after Trump meeting at Mar-a-Lago

Sunday’s talks between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky could pave the way for the first call between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than five years, a source familiar with the discussions said.

And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was billed as a step forward in peace efforts with Trump at the helm, the source also described how getting a direct phone call between Zelensky and Putin would be a “diplomatic victory” for the president.

“If Putin had joined a call on Sunday, it would have been the biggest achievement in preparing for the peace talks and the first real step in the peace process,” the source told Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity.

“It would be [a] diplomatic victory for President Trump. »

FINNISH PRESIDENT DECLARES RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE AGREEMENT CLOSER THAN ANY POINT DURING WAR

“Trump seems to be the most effective mediator because Putin and Zelensky see each other emotionally and that is a challenge.”

Trump confirmed Sunday that he spoke with Putin before the Zelensky meeting, calling the conversation “good and very productive” in a Truth Social article.

“I think we have the basis for a deal,” Trump also told reporters as he stood next to Zelenskyy after arriving in Florida on Sunday, adding that he believed the process could “move very quickly.”

“I think we’re in the final stages of discussions and we’ll see,” Trump said.

“Otherwise, this is going to last a long time. It’s either going to end or it’s going to last a long time, and millions more people are going to be killed,” the president added.

The Florida meeting came days after Zelensky also said he had a “good conversation” with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whom were also in attendance on Sunday.

ZELENSKYY SAYS HE WILL MEET TRUMP “BEFORE THE NEW YEAR”

As Zelensky approached Sunday’s meeting, the source said the Ukrainian leader was likely feeling anxious.

“Zelensky is usually very nervous before such conversations with President Trump,” the source said. “He concentrates for a long time and studies the notes prepared for him by the Directorate of International Policy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Sunday also marked the third in-person meeting between Trump and Zelensky since Trump returned to power.

At the center of the discussions was a 20-point peace plan backed by the United States, emerging from weeks of negotiations that would require compromise from kyiv and Moscow to engage and perhaps speak directly with Zelenskyy, the source said.

Trump suggests he will give final shots on peace deal before Zelensky meeting: ‘we’ll see what he has’

“The only difficulty they face is that Putin has refused to speak to Zelensky since July 2020, when they spoke about the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to arrest Wagner’s Russian activists.”

“After that, Zelensky repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused.”

“There were windows of opportunity for a conversation in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region,” the source said.

The last direct contact between the two leaders followed a botched Ukrainian operation targeting Wagner’s Russian mercenaries.

Ukrainian intelligence lured the mercenaries to Belarus and planned to intercept them on their way from Minsk to Istanbul, before the men were arrested, according to The Kyiv Independent.

ZELENSKYY READY TO PRESENT NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING IN EUROPEAN TALKS

“This latest call between Zelensky and Putin came as Ukraine attempted to capture a group of Russian Wagner fighters,” the source said. “The operation failed.”

Even before the complete breakdown in communications, relations between the two leaders were strained, the source said.

“Before that, in 2020, calls between Zelensky and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During discussions, Putin was always taciturn and Zelensky was trying to establish a relationship.”

“Zelensky always appeared submissive to Putin and pretended to be in a good mood, almost as if he were playing a role on stage,” the source said.

“He talked a lot and read his notes, afraid he would forget something. Sometimes he would stumble over his words or lose track of the punctuation.”

Putin calls Trump peace plan ‘starting point’, warns Ukraine to withdraw or face ‘force’

“When Putin remained silent, Zelensky always politely asked: ‘What do you think, Vladimir Vladimirovich?'”

“Putin has never been talkative,” the source said.

The Florida talks took place as Kyiv signaled a potential shift in its negotiating position. Zelensky said that the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say it’s about Ninety percent complete, the plan could include a limited withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of eastern Ukraine without formally recognizing Russian control, as well as the creation of demilitarized zones.

He also proposed putting the project to a national referendum if Moscow agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.

Zelensky has set a firm line on security guarantees, insisting that Ukraine needs legally binding assurances from the United States to deter future Russian aggression.

TRUMP ALL ‘PROGRESS’ ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEAL, ADMITS IT’S ‘ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CONFLICTS’ TO RESOLVE

“For us it is very important that there is a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees,” Zelensky told Ukrainian journalists on Saturday. “Above all, it depends on President Trump,” he added.

“Ukraine is ready to do whatever it takes to stop this war,” Zelensky also wrote on X this weekend.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“For us, the number one priority – or the only priority – is to end the war. For us, the priority is peace. We must be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: from Europe and the United States.”

Fox News Digital has contacted the Kremlin and President Zelensky’s office for comment.