Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Summit: Zelensky, Netanyahu Rush for Holiday Peace Deal

Paul Riverbank, 12/27/2025Mar-a-Lago becomes a diplomatic crossroads as Trump, Zelensky, and Netanyahu seek breakthroughs on Ukraine and Gaza. Behind glitzy doors, urgent talks could reshape peace prospects, energy markets, and global alliances—heralding an unexpectedly pivotal holiday season.

Donald Trump seems intent on skipping vacation while the world spins. Rather than basking in the sun or settling for ceremonial handshakes, he’s at work—his focus, for now, split between two of the world’s most precarious conflict zones: Ukraine and Gaza. By all credible accounts, the distance between potential breakthroughs and prolonged stalemate has shrunk to its smallest in a year.

If we start in Ukraine, the headlines are clear but the atmosphere on the ground has been tense for weeks. Word broke last Friday, when President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed an upcoming meeting with Trump. “We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level,” Zelensky posted, calling it “the near future.” His optimism wasn’t lost: he spoke of talks being 90 percent complete, hinting at resolutions that felt out of reach just months ago. Whether that fragile last 10 percent snaps into place by New Year’s or drags into spring, everyone in Kyiv knows the moment’s significance.

Behind the scenes, two figures—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—have been busy, almost relentlessly so. Their flights haven't exactly made the news, but their presence has become a poorly-kept secret. Most recently, their path led to Miami, where they met Rustem Umerov, a senior member of Ukraine’s security team. Reports of “positive and constructive” discussion might sound like code for ‘nobody stormed out,’ but in diplomatic speak, progress is often disguised in understatement.

Moscow hasn’t been idle. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has kept lines open, attending meetings with select American officials—sessions described to me by one U.S. diplomat as “pushing the rock uphill, but at least it’s moving now.” Others are a touch more blunt: “We’ve seen mroe real momentum in the last fortnight than in 12 whole months. No one’s packing up yet, and the ball’s edging closer to the goal.” Dubious sports metaphors aside, the mood has tangibly shifted, and Wall Street has noticed. As ambiguous hints about a deal trickled out, Brent crude prices responded immediately: down they went, as traders started to run numbers on a world where Russian oil meets fewer restrictions.

Yet, peace in Ukraine isn’t just about borders or troops; the Zaporozhye nuclear plant—a behemoth with six reactors—has emerged as a gordian knot. President Putin claims the U.S. wants the facility for its energy potential, even, rather outlandishly, for cryptomining. Zelensky, for his part, now floats the idea of shared oversight, while the Kremlin signals it wouldn’t object to Ukraine claiming part of the electricity. For people bracing against cold in Odesa or Kharkiv, it’s about light and heat; in these talks, it’s about who holds the cards.

The focus soon shifts, as it often does, to the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself en route to Mar-a-Lago as well, eyeing a chance to shore up U.S. support—especially regarding Iran and the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas. One Israeli official put it bluntly during a recent exchange: “He’s pitching to an audience of one. When it comes to Gaza, Trump could go with his own instincts or stick with advice from his inner circle. Nobody’s quite sure what outcome to expect.”

Efforts to orchestrate negotiations with Hamas have accelerated. Witkoff and Kushner again play a key role, holding sessions in Doha, Ankara, and Cairo, hoping to stabilize what many see as the opening act of a much longer play. The plan is ambitious: Hamas surrenders its heavy weaponry; Israel begins to withdraw ground troops. Both sides have threads they refuse to cut, but crucially, neither is prepared to walk out.

Through all this, Trump repeatedly refers to himself as a “president of peace.” Critics might call this grandstanding; his supporters, a bid for something as grand as a Nobel Prize before the campaign truly begins. Depending on whom you ask, the line between substance and political theater blurs, particularly with primaries looming.

One thing is certain: what happens at Mar-a-Lago over the next several days won’t simply adjust the world’s balance sheets or coax temporary ceasefires. The stakes ripple far beyond the gilded walls. Energy execs watch price charts with hawk’s eyes; diplomats draft statements in draft after draft; ordinary people, from Tel Aviv to Kherson to Houston, wait for signs that this winter could mark a real turning point. For now, anticipation hangs in the air—a rare ingredient during what’s usually the slow, reflective close to the year.

At Mar-a-Lago this December, the holidays aren’t following the usual script. The palm trees are lit and the gold trim still sparkles beneath the chandeliers, true, but just past the laughter in the main hall, the mood turns careful. Instead of the perennial buzz of wealthy guests exchanging niceties over cocktails, you might catch sight of a diplomat ducking into a side room, or catch fragments of urgent whispers passed between phone-clutching aides.Donald Trump seems intent on skipping vacation while the world spins. Rather than basking in the sun or settling for ceremonial handshakes, he’s at work—his focus, for now, split between two of the world’s most precarious conflict zones: Ukraine and Gaza. By all credible accounts, the distance between potential breakthroughs and prolonged stalemate has shrunk to its smallest in a year.If we start in Ukraine, the headlines are clear but the atmosphere on the ground has been tense for weeks. Word broke last Friday, when President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed an upcoming meeting with Trump. “We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level,” Zelensky posted, calling it “the near future.” His optimism wasn’t lost: he spoke of talks being 90 percent complete, hinting at resolutions that felt out of reach just months ago. Whether that fragile last 10 percent snaps into place by New Year’s or drags into spring, everyone in Kyiv knows the moment’s significance.Behind the scenes, two figures—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—have been busy, almost relentlessly so. Their flights haven't exactly made the news, but their presence has become a poorly-kept secret. Most recently, their path led to Miami, where they met Rustem Umerov, a senior member of Ukraine’s security team. Reports of “positive and constructive” discussion might sound like code for ‘nobody stormed out,’ but in diplomatic speak, progress is often disguised in understatement.Moscow hasn’t been idle. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has kept lines open, attending meetings with select American officials—sessions described to me by one U.S. diplomat as “pushing the rock uphill, but at least it’s moving now.” Others are a touch more blunt: “We’ve seen mroe real momentum in the last fortnight than in 12 whole months. No one’s packing up yet, and the ball’s edging closer to the goal.” Dubious sports metaphors aside, the mood has tangibly shifted, and Wall Street has noticed. As ambiguous hints about a deal trickled out, Brent crude prices responded immediately: down they went, as traders started to run numbers on a world where Russian oil meets fewer restrictions.Yet, peace in Ukraine isn’t just about borders or troops; the Zaporozhye nuclear plant—a behemoth with six reactors—has emerged as a gordian knot. President Putin claims the U.S. wants the facility for its energy potential, even, rather outlandishly, for cryptomining. Zelensky, for his part, now floats the idea of shared oversight, while the Kremlin signals it wouldn’t object to Ukraine claiming part of the electricity. For people bracing against cold in Odesa or Kharkiv, it’s about light and heat; in these talks, it’s about who holds the cards.The focus soon shifts, as it often does, to the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself en route to Mar-a-Lago as well, eyeing a chance to shore up U.S. support—especially regarding Iran and the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas. One Israeli official put it bluntly during a recent exchange: “He’s pitching to an audience of one. When it comes to Gaza, Trump could go with his own instincts or stick with advice from his inner circle. Nobody’s quite sure what outcome to expect.”Efforts to orchestrate negotiations with Hamas have accelerated. Witkoff and Kushner again play a key role, holding sessions in Doha, Ankara, and Cairo, hoping to stabilize what many see as the opening act of a much longer play. The plan is ambitious: Hamas surrenders its heavy weaponry; Israel begins to withdraw ground troops. Both sides have threads they refuse to cut, but crucially, neither is prepared to walk out.Through all this, Trump repeatedly refers to himself as a “president of peace.” Critics might call this grandstanding; his supporters, a bid for something as grand as a Nobel Prize before the campaign truly begins. Depending on whom you ask, the line between substance and political theater blurs, particularly with primaries looming.One thing is certain: what happens at Mar-a-Lago over the next several days won’t simply adjust the world’s balance sheets or coax temporary ceasefires. The stakes ripple far beyond the gilded walls. Energy execs watch price charts with hawk’s eyes; diplomats draft statements in draft after draft; ordinary people, from Tel Aviv to Kherson to Houston, wait for signs that this winter could mark a real turning point. For now, anticipation hangs in the air—a rare ingredient during what’s usually the slow, reflective close to the year.