Zelensky describes Oval Office meeting as ‘regrettable,’ says he is ready to negotiate peace

“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” Zelensky said on X. “None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader also said Ukraine is ready to sign a deal on Ukraine’s minerals, which was meant to be signed on Friday until the disastrous Oval Office meeting led to Zelensky being told to leave the White House.

“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” he said.

The framework that Zelensky laid out for a peace agreement is similar to the plan proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron at Sunday’s summit of Western leaders.

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

“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.”