As the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Trump came to a close, a ceasefire does not appear to be on the table, although claims of progress were made by both leaders, as well as other prominent players in Europe. However, one Polish analyst appeared skeptical of peace, at least in the short-term.
Polish Prof. Antoni Dudek, historian and lecturer at UKSW, told Polsat News: “If anyone expects this visit to be a breakthrough and a ceasefire right after the New Year, I think they’re being overly optimistic. Trump is softening Ukraine.”
Professor Dudek stated that “Ukraine is already quite softened if it accepts the possibility of losing a significant portion of its territory.” The question remains what the outcome of the referendum in Ukraine will be, he noted.
According to the historian, “all this leads us to a referendum in which Ukrainians will decide whether they want a break in the war at the price of giving up the eastern territories they have already lost, and perhaps additional ones, because at the moment the game is about the remnants of Donbas.”
Dudek’s assessment comes after Zelensky posted on X:
“I thank President Trump and his team for the negotiations. I thank the United States for its support. Together, we must – and can – implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace,”
I thank President Trump @POTUS and his team for the negotiations. I thank the United States for its support. Together, we must – and can – implement our vision for the sequencing of steps toward peace. pic.twitter.com/YklMUd62BA
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2025The White House posted a similar message, along with a video of the talks, from Trump, simply stating: “Our meeting was excellent… we have made a lot of progress on ending that war – by far closer than ever before.”
Upon welcoming the Ukrainian president at Mar-a-Lago, Trump had told press that he believed the talks were in their final phase, adding: “I believe we have the basis for a mutually beneficial agreement on Ukraine,” he added, according to Do Rzeczy.
The U.S. president had also highlighted that fighting on the front would continue for a long time if no deal is made.
However, while Dudek does not believe in an immediate ceasefire, he believes a ceasefire is possible in the coming months, although a lasting peace deal may be more elusive.
“We’ll see what the final outcome is. In my opinion, a ceasefire is realistic, but sometime in the first months of next year, during the referendum. If the referendum yields the results Moscow hopes—war-weary Ukrainians abandoning their eastern territories—then there will be a ceasefire for some time. It’s impossible to predict how long it will last,” said Dudek.
Meanwhile, Poland is center stage in the talks, according to the Office of the Polish Presidency, which stated that President Nawrocki was on a teleconference of European leaders with Trump and Zelensky to discuss where the peace talks stand. “He noted that since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport has served as a hub for over 90% of aid to Ukraine. Therefore, Poland’s position at the time of signing the peace agreement will be crucial.”
“Today’s conversation shows that any decisions regarding peace and security in the region must be made among all interested parties. The determination of the American side and the unity of the positions of European countries provide a real chance to end the war caused by the Russian Federation,” Nawrocki’s office posted.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also posted, with encouraging news on “good progress” made: “We had a good, one-hour-long call with POTUS, President Zelensky and several European leaders to discuss their meeting today on peace negotiations. There was good progress, which we welcomed.”
The EU leader then emphasized that “Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate this progress. Paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one.”
