President Donald Trump adopted a conciliatory tone toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his speech to Congress on Tuesday night. Despite a previous shouting match in the Oval Office, Trump appeared open to restarting talks over access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for continued U.S. security assistance.

In the House chamber, Trump read from a letter Zelensky had recently sent him, stating that Ukraine is ready to sign the minerals agreement and work with Trump toward peace. Trump expressed appreciation for Zelensky’s letter.

The shift in tone came after Trump abruptly cut short his meetings with Zelensky, canceling a lunch and a planned joint press conference. In a tense scene captured on camera, Zelensky appeared to irritate Trump by not showing sufficient gratitude for U.S. assistance and refusing to accept Trump’s premise that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted to uphold a ceasefire. Trump was also bothered by Zelensky’s choice to wear a black sweater and cargo pants instead of a suit for the meeting.

Trump described Zelensky’s response to his inquiry about ending the war on Truth Social as “the worst statement” and stated that the U.S. would not tolerate it for much longer. Subsequently, Trump froze U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which could impact Ukrainian forces as they continue to resist Russian military efforts.

Trump’s strained relationship with Zelensky dates back five years to when Trump initially withheld military assistance authorized by Congress to pressure Zelensky into investigating his political rival, Joe Biden. That phone conversation led to Trump’s first impeachment.

During his speech to Congress, Trump stated that his administration has been engaged in discussions with Russia regarding the end of the war. He expressed hope for a resolution, emphasizing the need to communicate with all sides involved.

Trump rationalized his willingness to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, “If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.” He called for an end to the conflict, stating, “It’s time to stop this madness.”

Trump distorted the extent of the U.S. support for Ukraine, claiming that the U.S. has spent “hundreds of billions of dollars” on Ukraine’s defense. In reality, Congress has allocated $174 billion in assistance to Ukraine since 2022, as reported by the Congressional Research Service.