Volodymyr Zelensky appeals to Donald Trump after US halts Ukraine aid
The Ukrainian President has reassured the US he wants peace and is ready to sign a minerals deal with Washington, which reportedly could happen as early as today.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reassured America he wants peace and supports a prisoner release as well as an immediate truce in the sky and sea, as he strives to “make things right” with Donald Trump after the suspension of US military aid to his nation.
In a statement posted to social media, Mr Zelensky said it was “regrettable” that last Friday’s meeting at the Oval Office with the US President and Vice President JD Vance “did not go the way it was supposed to be” after the talks descended into public acrimony.
Mr Zelensky also made clear that he was thankful for US support over the last three years of bloody fighting in Eastern Europe, signalling his willingness to sign a key deal with Washington granting America access to Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth at “any time and in any convenient format.”
The ABC reports the deal could be signed as early as today, with Mr Trump reportedly keen to have the deal done before he addresses Congress at 1pm (AEDT) today.
BREAKING: The United States and Ukraine could sign the minerals deal as soon as today, according to two sources briefed on the discussions.
— ABC News (@ABC) March 4, 2025
Pres. Trump has indicated to top advisers he would like to get the deal done before his joint address to Congress. https://t.co/22ZcG57ztE
However, the Ukrainian leader has not given up on his mission to try and secure a US security guarantee that could help underwrite any negotiated peace settlement between Kyiv and Moscow.
“We see this agreement (on minerals) as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” Mr Zelensky said.
On Tuesday (AEDT) Mr Trump ordered a pause on all military aid to Ukraine, including weapons already in transit, in a bid to escalate pressure on Kyiv to agree to peace negotiations after accusing Mr Zelensky of wanting the fighting to continue.
The Trump administration has signalled the freeze will stay in place until Mr Zelensky is able to demonstrate a “good faith” commitment to peace.
The US President believes Mr Zelensky showed disrespect in the Oval Office meeting on Friday and was insufficiently thankful for American support. He said the Ukrainian leader did not “want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing” and warned Mr Zelensky he
“wouldn’t be around much longer” unless a deal was reached.
Mr Trump had previously branded Mr Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” urging him to move fast or face the reality he was “not going to have a country left.”
Mr Zelensky had been arguing that he needed US weaponry to put his country in the strongest possible negotiating position with Russia. As well, he wanted US peacekeepers and aerial support to ensure Vladimir Putin would stick to any peace deal.
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир ЗеленÑький (@ZelenskyyUa) March 4, 2025
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…
In a statement posted to his social media account after the US moved to suspend military aid, Mr Zelensky said that he 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,” he said. “Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Mr Zelensky also suggested a first stage in a peace plan – drawing upon work undertaken by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron.
He said Ukraine and Russia could both release prisoners and have a truce in the sky — a ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and a truce in the sea immediately. He said he would then want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.
He proposed a series of measures that could be implemented as first steps to a more lasting peace, but added an important qualification – Russia would also need to agree to them.
“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,” he said. “Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”
Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv valued “how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins.”
“We are grateful for this,” he said. “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, 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. We would like future co-operation and communication to be constructive.”
“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, and I truly hope it will work effectively.”
Mr Zelensky’s wish for a European army, or at least a hefty contribution to a 30,000 strong peacekeeping force led by the United Kingdom and France has also hit some hurdles, with other European countries reluctant to make such an on the ground commitment.
The European Commission unveiled an €800 billion boost to EU defence spending on Tuesday including the ability for EU countries to draw on up to €150 billion in loans to help fill any void from any US withdrawal from its decades long commitment to Europe.
Italian leader Georgia Meloni has already ruled out supporting the UK-France peacekeeping proposal. “You can go—not with my soldiers,” she said.
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