Trump, in address to the Congress. says Zelenskyy sent him a letter expressing gratitude
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Tuesday announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had sent him a letter expressing gratitude for U.S. support in the war, and said he was willing to sign a deal to allow American access to Ukrainian natural resources.
The turnaround, which Zelenksyy announced earlier in noting that it is'' time to make things right", came days after the two leaders had a dramatic dust-up in the Oval Office.
In his joint address to Congress, Trump also said that Russia had indicated a willingness to negotiate an end to the war.
"Wouldn't that be beautiful?" Trump said.
Trump's announcement followed a tumultuous week that saw: Trump boot Zelenskyy from the White House for failing to express enough gratitude for U.S. support resisting Russia’s invasion; his administration sold bombs to Israel that the Biden administration had paused; and he slapped tariffs on friend and foe alike. The moves have cheered Russia and unnerved traditional allies in western Europe.
On Ukraine, Trump said he is “working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine.” Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians, as well as Russian soldiers, have been wounded or killed in the fighting that began in 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy agreed to negotiate with Russia after Trump doubled down on Friday’s Oval Office spat and on Monday night suspended shipments of U.S. arms to Ukraine, a critical link to keep Ukrainian troops supplied. Zelenskyy left without signing an agreement with Trump to grant the U.S. access to some of Ukraine's rare earth minerals. Trump contends that the deal would protect Ukraine by linking U.S. business interests to the country.
In a social media post Tuesday, Zelenskyy praised Trump, expressed gratitude for U.S. support and promised to “make things right.”
"My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts," Zelenskyy said Tuesday, describing their previous encounter as "regrettable."
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