- Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it’s “time to make things right” after his White House argument with Donald Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed regret over last week’s clash with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House and has pledged to sign a minerals deal with the United States.
Zelenskyy, in his first statement since the Trump administration said it would pause military aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, said that Ukraine does not want “an endless war” and that “nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians.”
Stating that his disastrous meeting with Donald Trump last week “did not go the way it was supposed to” and “it is regrettable that it happened this way,” added: “It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
In a lengthy post on X the Ukrainian president said he would like to “reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace” and said Kyiv is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible”.
Zelenskyy’s full post read: “I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
“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. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.
“We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.
“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.“