It follows Trump accusing President Zelenskyy of ‘gambling with World War Three’
Donald Trump has spoken out about an ‘important letter’ he received from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about bringing ‘peace’ to the Ukraine-Russia war.
On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House’s Oval Office in Washington, D.C., where he found himself on the receiving end of harsh criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. During their meeting, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with the lives of millions” and even suggested that he was “gambling with World War Three,” while also claiming Zelenskyy was “disrespecting” the United States. Despite the tension, Zelenskyy later took to Twitter to express his gratitude for America’s support and to clarify that Ukraine is “ready to work fast to end the war.” He suggested that the first steps could include the release of prisoners, a missile and drone ban, and a truce in both the sky and sea—provided Russia reciprocates.
“Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to secure lasting peace,” he added.
In his March 4 address to Congress, Trump revealed that he had received a letter from Zelenskyy, stating that Ukraine is ready to engage in negotiations as soon as possible to bring peace closer.
Trump continued, saying, “Nobody desires peace more than the Ukrainians. As for the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that works for you.”
He added, “I appreciate him sending this letter. I just received it a short while ago.”
Trump then highlighted that the U.S. had been engaged in serious discussions with Russia, noting, “We’ve received strong signals that they’re ready for peace. Wouldn’t that be beautiful?”
His joint address to Congress comes on the heels of the White House announcing the suspension of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, the U.S. has provided a staggering $65.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, according to a State Department report from January this year. In response to the U.S. decision to pause military aid, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that if the report was true, it could “really encourage the Kyiv regime to [enter] the peace process.” He also expressed that Trump’s “desire to bring peace to Ukraine” was “welcome.” Peskov added, “We see certain things and receive information about proposed actions in this direction. This is also welcome. But we will continue to monitor how the situation unfolds in reality.”
