Who was notably absent from the Trump-Zelenskyy peace talks?

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That's correct—Russia and Putin weren't at the Dec. 28, 2025 Mar-a-Lago talks. Trump and Zelenskyy negotiated bilaterally. This raises the obvious question: how can they agree to end a war without one of the combatants present? Any deal requires Russian buy-in. Trump spoke with Putin by phone Oct. 16, 2025 (2.5-hour call), but Putin hasn't committed to peace terms. Russia demands territorial concessions Ukraine won't give. Trump's strategy appears to be: pressure Ukraine to accept terms, then pressure Russia. But without Putin at the table, the "90% agreed" claim is hollow.

Who was notably absent from the Trump-Zelenskyy peace talks?

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