Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered an olive branch to Washington on Tuesday, saying his country was ready to negotiate an end to Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine “as soon as possible” and would “work under” U.S. President Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” to reach a peace deal.
Zelenskyy said that his acrimonious encounter with Trump at the White House last Friday was “regrettable” and that he remains ready to sign a deal that would give the United States substantial, long-term rights to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals needed for the American manufacture of technology products. VOA reported.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader said in a statement his discussions with Trump and Vice President JD Vance “did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
Trump ordered Zelenskyy to leave the White House, and the minerals deal was left unsigned.
Trump and Vance, seated close to each other in the Oval Office, assailed Zelenskyy as being ungrateful for the more than $100 billion worth of munitions the U.S. has sent to Kyiv’s forces to fend off Moscow’s 2022 invasion, even though the Ukrainian leader had on numerous occasions thanked the U.S.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” Zelenskyy said on Tuesday. “And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins,” an anti-tank missile weapons system. "We are grateful for this."
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” Zelenskyy said. “None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians
