Zelensky reiterates commitment to peace, says Ukraine’s ready to work with Trump after U.S. military aid freeze
Ukraine is committed to peace and ready to cooperate with the Trump administration to bring about an end to the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
The statement, posted on social media, comes after Washington suspended military aid to Ukraine on Monday in connection with a heated Oval Office meeting between Zelensky, Trump, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
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.
Calling the fallout from the meeting “regrettable,” Zelensky suggested first steps towards a potential truce, including a prisoner exchange and a ban on air and sea attacks “if Russia will do the same.”
Regarding the proposed minerals deal with the U.S. that Zelensky was supposed to sign in Washington last week, the Ukrainian president said he’s willing to sign the agreement “at any time and in any convenient format.”
Update: In his evening address on Tuesday, President Zelensky said that Ukraine is still seeking “official information” about the Trump administration’s decision to pause military aid. “Today, many people have the same question: what will happen next with U.S. assistance? I have instructed Ukraine’s defense minister, 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. Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another,” Zelensky said.