Zelensky Says He’ll ‘Do Whatever It Takes’ To End War Ahead Of Trump Mar-a-Lago Meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he is “willing to do whatever it takes” to bring an end to the war with Russia as he prepared to meet with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, the New York Post reported.

The comments came as Russia intensified its assault on Ukraine in the days leading up to the meeting, launching more than 2,100 drone attacks, nearly 800 guided aerial bombs, and 94 missiles, according to Ukrainian officials.

“Ukraine did not start this war. Russia started it,” Zelensky wrote on X on Saturday, noting that he last met Trump in person on Oct. 17. “Ukraine supported President Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to many different compromises.”

Later Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had a “good” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin: “I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The meeting will take place in the main dining room of Mar-a-Lago. Press is invited.”

Zelensky reiterated that ending the war is his government’s sole priority. “Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war. For us, priority number one – or the only priority – is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. We need to be strong at the negotiating table,” he said.

On Saturday alone, Russian forces struck Ukraine with 500 drone attacks and 400 missile strikes, cutting power in parts of Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities reported. At least one person was killed and 27 others were wounded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, issued a stark warning, signaling that Moscow intends to continue the war until its demands are met.

“If Ukraine does not want to resolve everything peacefully, Russia will resolve all its objectives by military means,” Putin said, according to a translation.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine relinquish its hold on the entire Donbas region, including strategically significant cities that remain under Kyiv’s control. Ukraine has refused to give up territory it has not lost on the battlefield, viewing its remaining foothold in Donbas as vital to national security and a buffer against future Russian aggression.

Ukrainian negotiators have been meeting with Trump’s team for weeks and have helped reshape a previously Russia-friendly 28-point peace proposal into a revised 20-point plan seen as more balanced.

Zelensky told reporters late last week that the updated plan is roughly 90% complete, though major issues remain unresolved, including territorial disputes, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and long-term security guarantees.

“The key is that Russia must not sabotage this diplomacy and must take ending the war 100% seriously,” Zelensky wrote on X last week. “If it doesn’t, then additional pressure on Russia must follow. The world has all the instruments needed to make that pressure effective and ensure that peace is achieved.”

Ending the war, which is approaching its four-year mark, has been one of President Trump’s top foreign policy priorities.