KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Tuesday that the Oval Workplace blowup with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump final week was “regrettable,” including that he stands able to work beneath Trump’s “strong leadership” to get an enduring peace.
Zelenskyy’s remarks — an obvious try to placate Trump — got here in a social media publish on X, hours after the White Home introduced a pause in navy assist to Ukraine that’s crucial to preventing Russia’s invasion.
However later throughout his nightly tackle, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine didn’t obtain direct notification from the U.S. that assist had been lower, and was searching for affirmation.
“I have instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, the heads of our intelligence agencies, and our diplomats to contact their counterparts in the United States and obtain official information. People should not have to guess,” he stated.
“Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another. Especially when it comes to protecting lives during a full-scale war,” he added, saying that navy assist had been lower as soon as earlier than in January for a short interval.
Zelenskyy additionally stated Ukraine is able to signal a profitable deal on rare-earth minerals and safety with Washington. Trump was weighing whether or not to conform to the signing Tuesday, when he’s scheduled to deal with a joint session of Congress, after Zelenskyy’s signal of contrition, based on a U.S. official acquainted with the matter who was not licensed to talk publicly about it.
In an obvious reference to Trump’s criticism following the contentious White Home assembly on Friday that Zelenskyy doesn’t desire a peace deal, the Ukrainian chief stated, “None of us want 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 the Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” he stated.
Requested by reporters in Moscow about Zelenskyy voicing readiness for the resumption of talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “It’s good, it’s positive.”
In his publish, Zelenskyy stated the Oval Workplace assembly “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,” he added. “We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
The pause of U.S. navy assist catapulted Ukraine into alarm and apprehension. Zelenskyy’s assertion got here earlier than Trump was anticipated to deal with the U.S. Congress later Tuesday.
“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format,” Zelenskyy stated. “We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.”
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by cellphone successively with Trump and Zelenskyy, Macron’s workplace stated, and “welcomes” the Ukrainian’s “willingness to re-engage in dialogue with the U.S.” It launched no particulars in regards to the dialogue with Trump.
U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer additionally spoke to the Ukrainian chief and “welcomed President Zelenskyy’s steadfast commitment to securing peace.”
Zelenskyy’s publish got here as officers in Kyiv stated they have been grateful for important U.S. assist in the struggle and need to maintain working with Washington. Ukraine’s prime minister, although, stated the nation nonetheless desires safety ensures to be a part of any peace deal and received’t acknowledge Russian occupation of any Ukrainian land. These are potential hindrances for Washington and Moscow, respectively.
Ukraine and its allies are involved Trump is pushing for a fast ceasefire that may favor Russia, which Kyiv says can’t be trusted to honor truces.
A White Home official stated the U.S. was “pausing and reviewing” its assist to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” The order will stay in impact till Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a dedication to peace negotiations, stated the official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the help.
The pause in U.S. assist isn’t anticipated to have a right away influence on the battlefield. Ukrainian forces have slowed Russian advances alongside the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) entrance line, particularly within the fiercely contested Donetsk area within the east. The Russian onslaught has been pricey in troops and armor however hasn’t introduced a strategically important breakthrough for the Kremlin.
Ukraine wants assist to struggle Russia
Ukraine, which relies upon closely on international assist to carry again Russia’s full-scale invasion that started on Feb. 24, 2022, has feared that assist could possibly be stopped since Trump took workplace.
U.S.-made Patriot air protection missile methods, for instance, are pivotal to defending Ukraine. Simply as important is U.S. intelligence help, which has allowed Ukraine to trace Russian troop actions and choose targets.
“I feel betrayed, but this feeling is not really deep for some reason. I was expecting something like that from Trump’s side,” stated a Ukrainian soldier preventing in Russia’s Kursk area, the place Ukraine launched a daring incursion in August 2024 to enhance its hand in negotiations. The soldier spoke by cellphone to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not licensed to speak to the media.
On the entrance line, the place Ukraine is struggling to fend off the bigger and better-equipped Russian military, one other soldier stated the U.S. choice would enable additional battlefield positive factors for Moscow.
“War is very pragmatic,” he informed AP, talking on situation of anonymity in compliance with navy rules. “If we have weapons, enough ammunition, infantry, armored vehicles and aviation — great. If not, then we’re done,” he stated.
He recalled a seven-month delay in U.S. assist that led to April 2024 however opened a door for Russia’s seize of the strategic metropolis of Avdiivka.
Olena Fedorova, 46, of the southern port metropolis of Odesa, stated she hoped Trump’s choice could be non permanent as a result of “we really need help.”
U.S. assist is important as a result of Europe can not absolutely present what Ukraine wants in air protection methods, resulting in elevated civilian casualties, stated lawmaker Yehor Chernov.
The suspension of U.S. navy assist is already being felt at a hub in japanese Poland that has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighboring Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated.
The U.S.-Ukraine relationship has taken a downturn since Trump took workplace and his workforce launched bilateral talks with Russia.
Trump had vowed throughout his marketing campaign to settle the struggle in 24 hours, however later modified that timeframe and voiced hope that peace could possibly be negotiated in six months.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated U.S. assistance is “vital” and has saved “perhaps tens of thousands” of civilian and navy lives. However he emphasised that any peace settlement have to be “on Ukraine’s terms, as the victim country.”
Ukraine desires “concrete security guarantees” from Washington, European international locations and Group of Seven main industrialized nations, he stated. Giving up territory to Russia, which occupies almost 20% of Ukraine, “is not possible” beneath the U.N. Constitution, he stated.
European allies stress assist for Kyiv
Noting that the U.S. has been “the chief supplier” of assist to Ukraine, Peskov stated that if Washington suspends these provides, “it will make the best contribution to peace.”
Poland’s International Ministry stated the U.S. had not consulted with or knowledgeable NATO international locations earlier than saying the pause.
Russia will seemingly attempt to use the halt in provides to increase its territorial positive factors and strengthen its place in potential peace talks.
“We need to keep up the pressure and continue to target their bases and depots with long-range precision weapons to destroy the stockpiles,” he stated.
Ukraine’s European allies, in the meantime, reaffirmed their dedication to Kyiv.
The chief of the European Union’s govt proposed an 800-billion-euro ($841 billion) plan to bolster defenses of EU nations and supply Ukraine with navy muscle.
The U.Ok. authorities, which has been main European efforts to maintain Trump from pushing to finish the struggle on phrases that might favor Moscow, stated it stays “absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Providers Institute, a London-based protection suppose tank, stated Washington’s transfer might encourage Russia to hunt extra Ukrainian concessions, together with demilitarization and neutrality.