Kyiv, Ukraine
CNN
—
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his Oval Office meeting last week with US President Donald Trump “did not go the way it was supposed to,” describing the fiery meeting as “regrettable” and noting that Ukraine is ready to negotiate about an end to the conflict.
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” Zelensky said on X, addressing his remarkable sit-down with Trump directly. Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky during the meeting, angrily accusing him of “gambling with World War Three” and telling him: “Your country is in big trouble.”
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” Zelensky wrote in Tuesday’s X post. “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.”
“None of us wants an endless war,” he added. “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.”
Western leaders will hope the statement goes some way towards smoothing Kyiv’s relations with the White House, but the disastrous Oval Office meeting underlined how strained that relationship has become.
Zelensky also said in his Tuesday statement that Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals deal, which was meant to be signed on Friday until the argument led to Zelensky being told to leave the White House.
“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,” he said.
And he made a rare direct intervention on how a possible ceasefire might work. “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,” Zelensky said. “Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”
That framework is similar to the plan proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron after Sunday’s summit of Western leaders, which took place in London amid anxiety on the continent about Ukraine’s future.
“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,” Zelensky added.
It remains to be seen how Trump will respond to the Ukrainian leader’s proposals or his reflections on the White House visit. But the lengthy statement suggests an effort by Kyiv to force its voice into discussions on the conflict’s future, after the Trump administration opened talks with Russia last month and refused to invite Ukraine.
Trump on Monday ordered a pause on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine, which could have a dire effect on the country’s war-fighting abilities. The halt in aid, which came after Trump held a series of meetings with top national security officials, will remain in place until Trump determines Zelensky has made a commitment to seeking peace talks, one official said – essentially forcing Ukraine to a negotiating table by threatening further losses on the battlefield.
