Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed a partial truce with Russia and said he was ready to pursue a peace deal under the “strong leadership” of US president Donald Trump, after Washington said it was pausing military aid to Kyiv in the wake of a heated exchange between the two leaders in the White House.
“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 ... My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Mr Zelenskiy wrote on social media on Tuesday.
“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.”
There was no immediate response to Mr Zelenskiy’s statement from Russia, which earlier welcomed the US suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine amid a rapid warming of relations between the Kremlin and the White House, as Mr Trump seeks a quick end to Europe’s biggest war in 80 years and a rapprochement with Moscow.
The Kremlin praised Mr Trump and US vice-president JD Vance last week after they accused Mr Zelenskiy in the White House of not showing enough gratitude for US support and not being ready to make concessions in pursuit of peace. The argument in front of reporters led to the Ukrainian delegation leaving Washington without signing a prepared deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s rare earths and other resources.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence ... Our meeting in Washington ... 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,” Mr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.
“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”.
Mr Trump’s refusal to give clear security guarantees to Kyiv as part of the natural resources deal was also a source of friction at last Friday’s meeting, but the White House insists that the presence of US investments, companies and workers in Ukraine would deter Russia from attacking again if a peace agreement were reached.
“If you want to actually ensure that [Russia] does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Mr Vance told US television on Monday night.
“That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
He appeared to be referring to discussions on a possible European peacekeeping force for Ukraine, to which Britain and France say they will contribute.
Several French and British politicians accused Mr Vance of disrespecting their troops, but he said it was “absurdly dishonest” to interpret his comments that way.
