Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered a limited truce with Russia and signaled his readiness to finalize a minerals and security deal with the US, days after a tense Oval Office clash with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The tension-filled talks between Zelenskyy and Washington reportedly revolved around granting the US privileged access to Ukrainian mineral deposits in exchange for a reconstruction fund aimed at rebuilding Ukraine’s war-ravaged infrastructure.
Yet the Oval Office meeting did not go as planned, devolving into what Zelenskyy described on social media as “regrettable” and contrary to expectations.
In a bid to shift the dynamic, Zelenskyy subsequently posted that his administration is “ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” emphasizing the urgent need for “a truce in the sky” and “a truce in the sea” between Ukraine and Russia.
“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format,” Zelenskyy reiterated.
The previous US administration under Joe Biden led a staunch coalition of Western partners that provided Ukraine with military and financial support during most part of the war with Russia. Now, however, the Trump administration’s approach appears more cautious, signaled by its recent decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine.
Trump’s abrupt criticism of Zelenskyy’s leadership has prompted partymates to voice their concerns. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she felt “sick to my stomach” as the administration “appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.” Senator John Curtis denounced the apparent lack of decorum during last week’s White House meeting, writing that “diplomacy and statesmanship seem to have been checked at the door of the Oval Office today.”
On the other hand, Vance underscored the importance of continuing to “apply pressure to everybody to stop the killing,” pointing to existing sanctions on Russia that he believes are substantially weakening its economy.
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