Zelensky vows to ‘make things right’ with Trump and negotiate peace

BBC:

Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to work under Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” to achieve a lasting peace days after their explosive Oval Office meeting.

The Ukrainian president described the White House showdown as “regrettable” in a lengthy social media post in the wake of the US announcing a pause in military aid to Kyiv.

Zelensky said “it was time to make things right”, after Trump had accused him of not being ready to come to the negotiating table.

The Ukrainian leader also outlined the first stages of how the war could be ended.

“We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky – ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same,” he wrote.

“Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”

In his social media post, Zelensky said Friday’s meeting “did not go the way it was supposed to be”, adding: “It is regrettable that it happened this way,” he wrote. “It is time to make things right. We would like future co-operation and communication to be constructive.”

He also reiterated that Ukraine was ready to sign a minerals deal with the US, after the failure to do so at the Washington meeting.

Ukraine woke to the news on Tuesday that the US was “pausing and reviewing” its military aid to the country after a breakdown in diplomacy last week.

In his post, Zelensky offered an overt declaration of gratitude for the help the US has so far given to his country.