Zelenskyy says he will meet with Trump 'before the New Year'

TAMPA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed he will be meeting with President Donald Trump Sunday, likely to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

"Rustem Umerov reported on his latest contacts with the American side. We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Zelenskyy reportedly confirmed in a WhatsApp chat with Ukrainian journalists that the meeting would take place Sunday, according to NBC News. He told the reporters it is unclear "whether territorial issues will be discussed."

The meeting could indicate that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a peace deal after Trump said last month that he would not meet with Zelenskyy or Russian President Vladimir Putin until a deal to end the war was final or in its final stages.

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"Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine... I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Nov. 25.

On Friday, Zelenskyy also said he had a "very substantive and positive conversation" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, another sign that Russia and Ukraine could be closer to reaching a deal.

"We coordinated our positions ahead of the meetings in Florida, and we must work at maximum productivity in the coming days, as always," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace, and we will continue working efficiently to ensure all necessary documents are prepared as quickly as possible."

The announcement of Sunday's meeting comes just one day after Zelenskyy expressed optimism about the progress of peace negotiations following a conversation with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Zelenskyy said the Christmas conversation centered on ongoing efforts to end the war and move toward a durable, lasting peace.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the U.S. were close to finalizing a framework for security guarantees and economic arrangements tied to a possible peace deal. He also stated at a news conference that talks with U.S. officials led to a 20-point plan, reduced from the original 28-point plan that Trump proposed.

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in the U.S. Dec. 20 that peace talks with Ukraine were constructive, even as Russian forces launched a missile strike on Odesa that left eight dead and 27 injured. Despite peace talks, Russia's efforts against Ukraine have continued in their third year of war after Putin's February 2022 invasion.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.