Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that the Oval Office blowup with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump last week was “regrettable,” adding that he stands ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to get a lasting peace.
Zelenskyy’s remarks — an apparent attempt to placate Trump — came in a social media post on X, hours after the White House announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine that is critical to fighting Russia’s invasion.
But later during his nightly address, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine hadn’t received direct notification from the U.S. that aid had been cut and was seeking confirmation.
“I have instructed Ukraine’s minister of defense, the heads of our intelligence agencies and our diplomats to contact their counterparts in the United States and obtain official information. People should not have to guess,” he said.
“Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another. Especially when it comes to protecting lives during a full-scale war,” he added, saying that military aid had been cut once before in January for a brief period.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is ready to sign a lucrative deal on rare-earth minerals and security with Washington. Trump said during his address to Congress late Tuesday that he received a letter from Zelenskyy saying as much and that it noted Kyiv valued “how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence.”
“I appreciate that he sent this letter, just got it a little while ago,” Trump said. “Simultaneously, we’ve had serious discussion with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace.”
Barrie's News Delivered To Your Inbox
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Earlier, in an apparent reference to Trump’s criticism following the contentious White House meeting Friday that Zelenskyy does not want a peace deal, the Ukrainian leader said, “None of us want 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 the Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” he said.
