President Trump reveals that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is open to negotiations and signing a deal on critical minerals, days after their disagreement at the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump shared that he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing his willingness for talks with Russia and to sign an agreement on critical minerals.
Trump stated, “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.” He quoted Zelenskyy’s letter: “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Trump expressed, “Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.”
The president’s statement comes days after a tense meeting between him and Zelenskyy at the Oval Office, during which the US suspended crucial military aid to Ukraine in the fourth year of its conflict with Russia.
Zelenskyy has since sought to mend ties with Trump, acknowledging their clash as “regrettable” and expressing his desire to make things right.
In his address to Congress, Trump also mentioned that Ukraine is prepared to sign an agreement for rare earth minerals “at any time that is convenient for you,” without providing further details.
Ukraine possesses deposits of strategically significant minerals, including titanium, lithium, and manganese, which could be valuable for US aerospace, electric vehicle, and medical manufacturing.
The Trump administration has argued that strengthening economic ties with Ukraine through an agreement granting the US access to these mineral deposits would help prevent Russia from acting against Kyiv in the future.
Following the disagreement with Trump, Zelenskyy indicated his willingness to compromise by expressing his eagerness to negotiate and secure American support in exchange for access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources.
Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, noted that Zelenskyy’s willingness to negotiate suggests that the recent clash did not go as he had hoped. He added that there is pressure on Zelenskyy to reach a deal, which includes granting the US access to rare minerals.
While Trump did not elaborate on his plan to end the conflict, he mentioned that he has engaged in “serious discussions with Russia.” The Kremlin expressed that cutting off US military aid to Ukraine is the best possible step towards peace, although they were awaiting confirmation of Trump’s decision.
US Democrats have criticized Trump’s sudden shift towards Russia, calling it the most significant geopolitical shift in generations for Washington, DC, where defending Europe from a hostile Moscow has been a bipartisan priority since the 1940s.
