'We have the makings of a deal,' Trump says after welcoming Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago

US President Donald Trump hailed a possible deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine as he welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Sunday.

"Too many people have died," Trump told reporters. "I do believe that we have the makings of a deal that's good for Ukraine, that's good for everybody. There's nothing more important."

Trump suggested there would be a "strong" security agreement for Ukraine — a key point for Kyiv — and said "European nations are very much involved," even if they were not present in the bilateral talks. European leaders are expected to be debriefed separately.

"I feel that European nations have been really great, and they're very much in line with this meeting and with getting a deal done. They are all terrific people," Trump added.

The US president also confirmed he would hold another call with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the meeting with Zelenskyy. Trump told reporters he was convinced Putin was interested in peace, even as Moscow pounded Ukraine with a barrage of missiles and drones in the run-up to the Mar-a-Lago meeting.

After weeks of intense high-level diplomacy, Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to discuss the latest efforts to end Russia's all-out war in Ukraine after nearly four years of fighting. The Ukrainian president suggested "90% of the deal is done".

He also described the efforts leading to the bilateral meeting as the “most active diplomatic days of the year,” saying “a lot could be decided before the New Year.”

“We are doing everything toward this, but whether decisions will be made depends on our partners – those who help Ukraine, and those who put pressure on Russia so that Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression,” Zelenskyy said before the meeting.

Still, the most delicate issues including security guarantees for Ukraine and the possible partition of territories, which Ukraine has refused to give up citing a matter of sovereignty, remain unresolved.

In the run-up to the meeting, Zelenskyy insisted that Moscow has not indicated any willingness to out an end to its war against Ukraine or make compromises on its maximalists demands.

This week alone, Russia launched air strikes carrying over 2,100 drones, around 800 guided aerial bombs, and 94 missiles of various types against Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv.

"Russian representatives are having long conversations, but in reality, the Kinzhals (missiles) and Shaheds (drones) are speaking for them. This is the real attitude of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his entourage. They do not want to end the war," Zelenskyy said.

European leaders not represented in Florida

European leaders will not participate in the Florida talks and won’t be physically present at the talk at Mar-a-Lago.

Nonetheless, according to the office of the president of Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to have a call with the European leaders one hour into their meeting, at approximately 8 pm CET.

On Saturday, on his way to the US, Zelenskyy made a stopover in Canada to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and held an online meeting with European and NATO leaders.

Ukraine’s president said they discussed the upcoming meeting with Trump and coordinated Ukraine's and the EU's positions in anticipation of the talk with the US president on Sunday.