Zelenskyy Says It Is ‘time To Make Things Right’ After Oval Office Blowup

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a limited truce with Russia and said his country is willing to move forward on a minerals and security deal with the United States on Tuesday, days after a bitter clash in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump sent shock waves through the global order.

“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” wrote Zelenskyy on social media platform X. “It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”

In his social media post, the wartime Ukrainian president said he and his team are “ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” proposing Ukraine and Russia both release prisoners and agree to a “truce in the sky” and “truce in the sea immediately.”

Zelenskyy’s Tuesday social media post marks a dramatic turn in the negotiations around the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been raging since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in 2022. Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s dressing down of Zelenskyy last week dramatically escalated diplomatic tensions, raising questions about America’s commitment to the embattled Western nation and sending European leaders scrambling to voice their support.

Trump and Zelenskyy had been fleshing out a dealthat would allow the United States to tap into Kyiv’s mineral deposits in exchange for a “reconstruction investment fund” for Ukrainian development before last week’s exchange in Washington.

Zelenskyy has also insisted on the U.S. providing security guarantees for his country, arguing that without any his country would remain vulnerable to another invasion from Russia.

After the tense Oval Office meeting last week, it is even more uncertain whether the Trump administration would be willing to provide any sort of guarantee. On Monday, Trump told his administration to suspend military aid to Ukraine, a dramatic escalation that could hurt a country struggling to fortify its defenses against a Russian invasion.

It’s a change of tune from the Biden administration, which formed a strong alliance with Kyiv in part to counter Russia’s territorial aggression. The Kremlin has praised the Trump administration’s move and now says the United States’ vision largely aligns with its own.

European leaders have quickly coalesced around Zelenskyy since the blow-up with Trump and Vance, pledging to support the war-torn country and fill any gaps the United States may leave.

“The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “Europe must do the heavy lifting, but to support peace in our continent, and to succeed this effort must have strong U.S. backing.”

Zelenskyy is still offering Trump an olive branch, even as top U.S. officials deride his demeanor and country.

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