After talks with Zelensky, Trump says Ukraine and Russia are 'closer than ever' to peace

US President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever before" to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years.

The president's statements came after the leaders met for talks following what Trump said was an "excellent", two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine launched the war nearly four years ago.

Trump insisted he believed Putin still wants peace, even as Russia launched another round of attacks on Ukraine while Zelensky flew to the United States for the latest round of negotiations.

"Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed," Trump said during a late afternoon news conference as he stood with Zelensky after their meeting. He repeatedly praised his counterpart as "brave".

Trump and Zelensky both acknowledged thorny issues remain, including whether Russia can keep Ukrainian territory it controls, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure it is not invaded again in the future. After their discussion, they called a wide group of European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and the leaders of Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland.

Zelensky said Trump had agreed to host European leaders again, possibly at the White House, sometime in January. Trump said the meeting could be in Washington or "someplace".

Zelensky thanked Trump for his work. "Ukraine is ready for peace," he said.