Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his tense Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump as “regrettable” in his first public response following the US decision to pause military aid to Kyiv.
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
Trump accused Zelensky of being unwilling to negotiate peace, prompting the Ukrainian leader to respond that “nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians.”
Ukraine learned on Tuesday that the US was “pausing and reviewing” its military assistance after last week’s diplomatic fallout. In his social media post, Zelensky reaffirmed his willingness to work under Trump’s leadership to achieve lasting peace.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” he wrote. “And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.”
During the Oval Office meeting, Vice-President JD Vance reportedly accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US military aid. The talks were supposed to end with a deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, but after Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III,” the Ukrainian delegation left without signing it. Trump told Zelensky, “come back when you’re ready for peace.”
Zelensky has since reiterated his commitment to the minerals deal, stating, “Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format.”
Meanwhile, Trump has not publicly commented on the aid pause or Zelensky’s statement. However, following a weekend summit with European leaders hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelensky remarked that a peace deal with Russia remained “still very, very far away.”
Trump reacted on Truth Social, calling it “the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky.” He added, “It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.”
In his latest statement, Zelensky referenced a French proposal for a one-month truce, suggesting, “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 concluded by emphasizing his hope for swift progress towards a final peace agreement, stating, “Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”