Trump calls reporter's security deal question 'dumb' during Zelenskyy meeting at Mar-a-Lago

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump bristled at a reporter’s question less than two minutes after greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside his Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday, December 28, calling it a “dumb question” as the two leaders prepared for talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Television microphones barely picked up the reporter’s voice, but he appeared to ask whether Trump was “prepared to sign security documents today.” The question visibly irritated the president, who interrupted himself mid-response to rebuke the reporter.

“Well, it depends on the security agreements, what a dumb question. Nobody even knows what the security agreement is going to say,” Trump said.

Trump says no deadline set for ending Ukraine war

Trump added that a deal would eventually emerge and that European nations would play a central role.

“There will be a security agreement, it’ll be a strong agreement, and the European nations are very much involved in that. They’ll be involved in protection, etc,” the president said.

Moments earlier, Trump had told another reporter that he had set no specific deadline for ending the conflict, stressing only that he wanted it to end “as soon as possible.”

He said that there was “nothing more important” to him than stopping the war.

The meeting followed Zelensky’s release this week of an updated 20-point peace plan, which includes security guarantees and a proposal to turn disputed territories into a demilitarized free economic zone.

Calls with Vladimir Putin and leverage over Kyiv

Ahead of the sit-down with Zelenskyy, Trump revealed that he had spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a social media post, Trump described the call as “good and very productive” and said he planned to continue discussions after the meeting in Florida.

When asked about Zelensky’s new peace proposal, Trump told Politico that the Ukrainian leader “doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” adding, “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

Speaking to reporters, Trump said negotiations were “pretty complex, but not that complex,” and indicated he intended to call Putin again after the talks.

Warm greetings but pointed remarks

Trump greeted Zelensky warmly with a firm handshake as the Ukrainian president arrived wearing a black dress shirt and a black overcoat. He praised Ukraine’s resilience, noting the country has endured a brutal war for nearly four years.

Trump also commented on recent strikes inside Russia, saying Ukraine had carried out some “very strong attacks” and stressing he did not mean that “negatively.”

“There have been some explosions in various parts of Russia, and it looks to me like, I don’t know, it didn’t come from the Congo,” Trump said.

“I don’t think it came from the United States of America. It possibly came from Ukraine, but I haven’t asked that question. Maybe I won’t bother asking,” the president commented.