In a post on social media, Zelenskyy concurred with Trump and laid out the contours of a peace plan. This came days after a tense meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance blamed Zelenskyy for being a warmonger unwilling to pursue a ceasefire with Russia, and claimed that Ukraine was not sufficiently thankful for all the assistance the US had provided during the war.
What are the recent developments between Trump and Zelenskyy, what does Ukraine’s new peace proposal entail, how does Europe view this plan– and could it succeed?
What did Trump and Zelenskyy say?
Trump stated on Tuesday that he received a letter from Zelenskyy in which the Ukrainian president expressed readiness to approach the negotiating table for peace.
“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,” Trump said in an address to Congress, referencing Zelenskyy’s letter.
Trump added that he had also heard from Russia and “received strong signals” that it was ready for peace.
“It’s time to stop this insanity. 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,” Trump said. He did not go into specific detail about how he plans to end the war that has been grinding on since February 2022.
Also on Tuesday, Zelenskyy wrote an X post echoing what he wrote in his letter to Trump. “I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” the Ukrainian president started his post.
What is Zelenskyy’s new peace plan?
In his X post, Zelenskyy briefly described his proposal for peace.
He wrote that “the first stages could be the release of prisoners and a truce in the sky – ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – and a truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would “want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal”.
Where does Europe stand on this proposal?
Before the Ukraine security summit in London hosted on March 2 by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron told Le Figaro newspaper about a step-by-step peace proposal that has similarities to what Zelenskyy has now pitched.
Marcon said the UK and France wanted to propose a ceasefire pausing sea and air attacks as well as attacks on energy infrastructure for a month.
Starmer and Macron, alongside other European leaders, have also expressed a willingness to send troops to Ukraine as peacekeeping forces if a peace deal is reached with Russia.
But Russia has opposed European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. “Russia’s overall war aims will not have changed,” Giles said. “So any force in Ukraine intended to preserve peace is an obstacle to them, and we can expect Russia to oppose it with all of the dire threats that it can muster.”
So far, Trump and his team appear to be supportive of a US peacekeeping operation in Ukraine once a deal with Russia is struck. However, if Russia remains firmly opposed to it, “based on past performance, we can expect the Trump administration to back Moscow‘s demands”, Giles said.
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
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…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 4, 2025
What’s the backdrop of the new proposal?
A day before Zelenskyy’s letter, Trump announced a pause on Washington’s military assistance to Kyiv, multiple media outlets reported, quoting unnamed US officials.
This was after rising tensions between the two leaders reached a climax on February 28 in the Oval Office at the White House. Zelenskyy met with Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump and Vance repeatedly cut Zelenskyy off, criticizing the Ukrainian leader for not sufficiently appreciating US military aid to Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy set about to change that narrative.
“We truly value the support America has provided to Ukraine in maintaining its sovereignty and independence,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on his platform, showing gratitude for Washington. “We remember the moment things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are thankful for this.”
Zelenskyy also noted that his White House meeting “did not go as it was supposed to. It is regrettable that this happened. It’s time to fix things.”
In his post, Zelenskyy did not mention the pause on US military aid to Ukraine.
A month into his new term, Trump has shifted US policy towards the Ukraine war and has become more open to negotiating with Moscow. Previously, US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia for peace talks, which left Ukraine and Europe dissatisfied since they weren’t invited to those talks.
What about the minerals deal?
Based on statements from the two leaders, a minerals deal that Zelenskyy was expected to sign during his visit to Washington – but got halted after his clash with Trump – might now be revived.
The deal will allow Washington to invest in Kyiv’s mineral resources, including rare earth minerals. Trump has pushed for this, and he told reporters last month that he wanted “parity” for the aid the US has sent to Ukraine.
Trump stated during his address to Congress that Ukraine is ready to sign the minerals deal.
In his X post, Zelenskyy stated: “Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format. We view this agreement as a step toward greater security and robust security guarantees, and I truly hope it is effective.”
While making it clear the US will not deploy any peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire with Russia, Trump and his administration argued this minerals deal would serve as a security guarantee for Kyiv. The argument is that once Russia knows the US has a significant economic stake in Ukraine, it will understand that attacking its neighbor would result in strong American retaliation.
Will the US and Russia accept this peace deal?
With specifics of the peace deal still uncertain, it’s too early to tell, experts say.
“Russia has the luxury of sitting back and waiting to see if Europe can get its act together or not, given there is nothing concrete yet,” Giles said. He added this puts Moscow in “a very comfortable position”.
He also noted it is unclear “what the US will accept, since the motivations for Trump are very different from those for Ukraine and Europe.” He explained this depends on the degree to which Trump can be motivated by the minerals deal.
“We observe logical gaps in many of the proposals we have heard today – the suggestion from Starmer that nothing is feasible without US support runs into quicksand, given the US’ clear statement that it does not wish to provide this support.”
