Zelenskyy ready to cooperate under Trump’s “strong leadership” for lasting peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday, the 4th of March, that he seeks to improve relations with U.S. President Donald Trump and work under the White House leader’s “strong leadership” to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine.
In his first public comments since Trump halted U.S. military aid to Ukraine last night, Zelenskyy called for a ceasefire at sea and in the air, stating that this would be the first step toward ending the three-year-long war.
“Ukraine is ready to sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible to move closer to lasting peace. No one wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I are ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to achieve lasting peace,” Zelenskyy announced on X.
He emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to immediately agree to a “ceasefire in the skies—a ban on missile strikes, long-range drones, and bombings of energy and other civilian infrastructure—as well as a ceasefire at sea, provided that Russia does the same”.
Last Friday, during a meeting with the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump accused Zelenskyy of not being sufficiently grateful and showing enough respect to the U.S. He also stated that Zelenskyy lacks the leverage to dictate how Washington should manage its relations with Moscow.
This dispute in the Oval Office, which was broadcast on television and during which U.S. Vice President James David Vance also attacked Zelenskyy with accusations, caused shock worldwide. This was followed by assurances from the rest of the Western world that support for Ukraine would continue.
“Our meeting in Washington on Friday at the White House did not go as planned. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to set things straight. We want future cooperation and communication to be constructive,” Zelenskyy stated on X.
He also mentioned that Kyiv is ready to sign an agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s natural resources and minerals. This agreement was supposed to be signed in Washington on Friday before Zelenskyy was effectively expelled from the White House.