Zelenskyy writes to Trump to come to 'negotiating table' again
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that Ukraine is ready to resume peace negotiations. This comes after a fraught meeting at the White House last Friday, which ended without a deal on mineral rights and saw the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine.
Peace overture
Zelensky's letter indicates readiness for peace, mineral deal
During his address to Congress, Trump read excerpts from Zelensky's letter. "Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The letter reads, 'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians," Trump read. Zelenskyy also stated in the letter that Kyiv would sign the mining agreement with the US "at any time that is convenient for you."
Deal details
Proposed mineral deal and future negotiations
Trump said he "appreciated" the letter and is also receiving signs from Russia that they are ready for peace. The proposed mineral agreement would give the US access to Ukraine's natural resources and create a joint reconstruction investment fund. Ukraine will contribute 50% of any revenue generated from the future commercialization of all Ukrainian government-owned natural resource assets to the fund. This comprises mineral resources, oil, natural gas, and related infrastructure. However, it doesn't include explicit security guarantees for Ukraine.
Diplomatic tensions
Zelensky addresses concerns, Trump criticizes Europe
The deal was initially scheduled for signing during Zelenskyy's visit to Washington but was delayed due to disagreements. In an X post, Zelenskyy admitted their meeting didn't go as planned and expressed regret over the incident. "We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive," he said. During the meeting, Vice-President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy, calling him "disrespectful" to the US, while Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to reach a deal with Russia "or we are out."