US President Donald Trump announced in a speech to Congress on Tuesday, the 4th of March, that he had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing the Ukrainian leader’s readiness to come to the negotiating table on the Russia-Ukraine war, reports Reuters.
“Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. No one wants peace more than the Ukrainians,” Trump said on Tuesday, quoting the letter.
TRUMP ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD “SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA” AND HAD “RECEIVED STRONG SIGNALS THAT THEY ARE READY FOR PEACE”.
“Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” he said. “It is time to stop this madness. It is time to stop the killing. It is time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.”
Trump was expected to elaborate on his plans for Ukraine and Russia in his speech to Congress, but he did not reveal any details on how he plans to end Europe’s biggest conflict since the Second World War.
Trump also announced that Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals agreement with the US, which Washington says is vital to ensure continued US support for Ukraine’s defence.
Four sources told Reuters that the Trump administration and Ukraine plan to sign the deal on Wednesday in exchange for military aid, which Trump has suspended. But later on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News: “There are no plans to sign anything,” according to a Fox reporter’s post on X.
Trump did not provide further details on the mineral deal, leaving its fate unclear.
BNN already reported that Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he wanted to mend relations with US President Donald Trump and work under the White House host’s “firm leadership” to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine after last week’s Oval Office clash with Trump, which he described as “regrettable”. In his statement on X, he made no mention of the suspension of US military supplies.
Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said that Ukrainian forces could hold on their own against Russian troops, but that Kyiv would do its utmost to continue cooperation with the US.
IN MOSCOW, THE KREMLIN STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION OF US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE STEP TOWARDS PEACE, ALTHOUGH THE KREMLIN WAS AWAITING TRUMP’S APPROVAL OF THIS STEP.
US Democrats have expressed outrage at Trump’s sudden pivot to Russia, the most dramatic geopolitical shift in generations in Washington, where bipartisan governments since the 1940s have prioritised defending Europe from a hostile Moscow.
The suspension of US military aid to Ukraine has increased pressure on European allies to step up their support. Britain and France, whose leaders recently visited the White House, have offered to help secure a possible ceasefire sending their own troops.
In response to growing security concerns, German political leaders have proposed a 500 billion euro fund to boost defence spending, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined plans to mobilise up to 800 billion euros for EU defence. EU countries will hold an emergency summit on Thursday to discuss this.
The Ukrainians were taken by surprise and many described Washington’s action as a betrayal. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, said it looked as if Trump was “forcing us to capitulate”.