Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted that his meeting with Donald Trump in Washington last week “did not go the way it was supposed to” and called the outcome “regrettable.”
In an apparent damage-control effort following a pause in U.S. military aid to Ukraine, the Ukrainian president took to X to reaffirm Kyiv’s commitment to peace and said the country is ready to “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
Zelenskyy also floated the prospect of a new minerals and security agreement with the U.S., a move seemingly aimed at rekindling Washington’s interest in Ukraine as political support for continued military aid weakens.
His statement—part plea, part pledge—appeared to be an attempt to mend what has become a tense diplomatic relationship with the U.S.
“We are ready to work fast to end the war,” Zelenskyy wrote, outlining a phased approach that would begin with prisoner releases and a truce in the air and at sea. “Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the U.S. to agree on a strong final deal.”
Perhaps the most telling part of Zelenskyy’s statement was his reference to Trump’s past support.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” he said. “And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins.”
Trump has yet to respond to Zelenskyy’s remarks, which read as close to an apology as the Ukrainian leader has ever offered.
Read Zelenskyy’s statement in full:
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 President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.
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.
We do really value 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.
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 cooperation 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.
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