In the aftermath of last week’s tense Oval Office meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has now signaled his willingness to work under Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” to negotiate a peace deal with Russia. His latest statement comes as the U.S. administration pauses military aid to Ukraine and shifts its focus toward securing an economic agreement over the country’s vast mineral resources.
Zelensky acknowledged that his meeting with Trump had been far from ideal, calling it “regrettable” in a lengthy social media post. But rather than dwell on the tensions, the Ukrainian leader attempted to reset the conversation. “It is time to make things right,” he wrote. “We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
His message also outlined preliminary steps toward ending the war. Ukraine, he said, was prepared to begin with a prisoner exchange and immediate truces in both the air and sea—provided that Russia reciprocates. From there, he suggested, negotiations could move quickly toward a broader peace agreement, with the United States playing a key role in securing a lasting deal.
This apparent change in tone follows a meeting that ended with Zelensky walking away without signing a long-anticipated minerals agreement with the U.S. The deal, which would grant America access to Ukraine’s reserves of strategically valuable materials like titanium and lithium, was meant to be a major deliverable from the visit. Instead, the discussion unraveled when Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” and dismissed him with a sharp directive: “Come back when you’re ready for peace.”
Vindman calls on Trump to resign because he doesn’t like how Trump asked Zelensky to resign.
“This is a regime change in which Trump is asking a fellow ally to resign. So I'm gonna go ahead and go out on the record right here… I'm calling on Donald Trump to resign.” pic.twitter.com/f1khTxW2Ea
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) March 5, 2025
The diplomatic fallout was swift. On Tuesday, the Biden administration’s military aid to Ukraine was officially put on hold pending a policy review. Trump, however, remained largely silent on the decision, choosing instead to highlight Zelensky’s newfound willingness to negotiate. “Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelensky of Ukraine,” Trump said in a speech to Congress. According to Trump, Zelensky wrote that “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.”
In addition to peace talks, Zelensky reportedly indicated that Ukraine was now prepared to sign the minerals deal “at any time that is convenient” for Trump. Whether this signals a genuine policy shift or simply an effort to mend frayed relations remains to be seen.
Whatever happens to my family, know this: No pardons were offered or discussed.
I cannot begin to describe the level of betrayal and hurt I feel.
— Rachel Vindman (@natsechobbyist.bsky.social) January 20, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise between the Trump administration and America’s European allies over the future of Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance, whose blunt approach helped derail last week’s meeting, stirred further controversy when he dismissed the idea of a British-French peacekeeping force for postwar Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Vance argued that securing an economic partnership with Ukraine was a more effective deterrent against Russia than “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
The remark was widely interpreted as a slight toward the UK and France, both of which have been vocal in their support for a multinational peacekeeping force. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have both pushed for a NATO-backed presence in Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression. British and French officials were quick to defend their military track records, pointing to their extensive involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq alongside U.S. forces.
Facing backlash, Vance later clarified that he hadn’t singled out any specific country and acknowledged Britain and France’s contributions over the years. “The British and the French have offered to step up in a big way,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. However, the damage had been done. In London, opposition lawmakers even called for the UK ambassador to Washington to demand an apology from Vance.