Ukraine tries to appease Donald Trump hours after the White House announced a pause of military support to the country invaded by Russia. President Volodimir Zelenski has said that his country is willing to “sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible” and to work “under the firm leadership” of Trump to “get a lasting peace.” In an X message, the Ukrainian leader has proposed a limited truce with Moscow – maritime and aerial, also against energy infrastructure – and also emphasizes that he is still willing to sign an agreement with the US on the exploitation of mineral resources.
Although he does not mention it, the statement comes a few hours before the Republican president speaks in Congress and one day after US sources announced the suspension of military assistance, a decision that has caused alarm in Ukraine, since the US is a fundamental support. With this decision, Trump seeks to press his Ukrainian counterpart so that entable conversations, after accusing him of not being interested in negotiating peace as he takes an abrupt turn about the war and approaches Moscow.
For his part, Zelenski asked the Minister of Defense, Chiefs of Intelligence and Ukrainian diplomats who maintain contacts with their American counterparts to obtain clarification about the possible suspension of military aid.
In the message, Zelenski makes an explicit reference to the tense episode lived in the Oval Office Last Friday, when Trump abroncted his Ukrainian counterpart and then threw him out of the White House. “It wasn’t how it was supposed to be. It is unfortunate that it happened. It’s time to do things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive, ”says Zelenski. This Monday, the American national security advisor, Mike Waltz, demanded that the Ukrainian president expressed that he regretted the rifirrafe in the White House, who evidenced that the relations between the US and Ukraine go through their worst time from the beginning of the Russian invasion three years ago.
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” says the Ukrainian leader at the beginning of his message. “None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is willing to sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring a lasting peace. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians. My team and I are willing to work under the firm leadership of President Trump to achieve lasting peace. ”
These words are, apparently, an answer to Trump’s criticism, which has repeatedly repeated that Zelenski is not interested in negotiating the end of the war, the last time this Monday, and said that the Ukrainian leader could return to Washington “when she is ready for peace.” However, the Republican president has not made a similar accusation against Vladimir Putin, who has not given public signs of giving in his maximalist demands to end the conflict unleashed by the invasion of his troops three years ago.
This Monday, Zelenski advocated “nouns” diplomatic efforts to achieve the fastest possible end of the war, but Ukraine and his allies are concerned that Trump is pressing to achieve a rapid fire that can favor Russia. One of the things that most irritated Trump already Vance at Friday’s meeting was Zelenski’s insistence on asking for the security guarantees that Ukraine will receive to respect any peace agreement, something that until now one of the main kyiv conditions for possible negotiations with Moscow.
Sea and air truce
In his message, Zelenski opens the door to a high limited fire and an exchange of prisoners as a first step. “We are willing to work quickly to end the war, and the early stages could be the release of prisoners and the truce in the sky – missile prohibition, long -range drones, pumps on energy and other civil infrastructure – and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia does the same. After we want to advance very fast at all the following stages and work with the United States to reach a solid final agreement, ”he adds.
Last weekend, in the framework of the London European Leaders Summit, it was made public that the United Kingdom and France were working on a proposal with Zelenski to present it to Trump, which is negotiating directly with Russia and refuses to include Ukraine or other European countries in those conversations. Macron explained in an interview with the newspaper I trust him That the plan includes a one -month truce for air and sea attacks, and against energy infrastructure while being negotiated. The idea did not refer to the attacks by land, according to Macron, because the front line is too wide. Last October, Zelenski already slipped that the cessation of air attacks against energy objectives and cargo ships could pave the way to negotiations to end the war.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, said on Sunday that the agreement will have in any case that “involving Russia”, but the Putin regime should not issue the terms of security guarantees. Downing Street has confirmed that the British prime minister has spoken on Tuesday with Zelenski, which he has updated about a conversation that held the previous day with Trump.
In his message in X, Zelenski, whom Trump and his vice president JD Vance portrayed as an ungrateful before the cameras in the White House – despite having thank the US for his support on multiple occasions during the invasion -, he has once again express his gratitude to Washington. “We really value how much the United States has done to help Ukraine maintain their sovereignty and independence. And we remember the time when things changed when President Trump provided [misiles antitanque] Javelins to Ukraine. We are grateful for it. ”
Zelenski continues to leave the door open to the agreement with Trump on the exploitation of minerals that was paralyzed after Friday’s encounter. “Regarding the Mineral and Security Agreement, Ukraine is willing to sign it at any time and in any convenient format. We consider this agreement as a step towards greater security and solid security guarantees, and sincerely I hope to work effectively. ”
According to four anonymous sources cited by the Reuters news agency, Ukraine and the US are going to sign that agreement and Trump plans to announce it in their speech before Congress this Tuesday (dawn on Wednesday in Spain). US representatives have maintained contacts with kyiv in the past days about the signing of the pact, despite what happened last Friday, according to one of those sources. It is not clear if the content of the agreement has changed at this time, but the text that Trump and Zelenski were going to sign in Washington did not include security guarantees for Ukraine.
Source: www.eldiario.es
