Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his country was “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible” to work out a peace deal to end the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian leader also said it was “time to make things right” with the United States after a bruising Oval Office meeting with President Trump and the suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
“Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said in a lengthy post on social media. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Ukraine’s president then outlined possible first stages for a ceasefire deal, which appeared to echo a European proposal floated by French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend. He issued his statement as Ukraine braced to continue its defense without the aid of U.S. military support, which Mr. Trump said he was pausing on Monday.
“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,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy emphasized the U.S. and President Trump’s contribution to Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine was ready to sign the agreements on rare earth minerals with the U.S., “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,” Zelenskyy said.
