Kyiv [Ukraine], March 4 (ANI): Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he does not want an ‘endless war’, and is ready to work under US President Donald Trump’s leadership for achieving lasting peace.
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace. 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,” he said in a post on X.
Zelenskyy appealed to begin the process of ending the war by first implementing a ban on missile, and said then Kyiv is ready to work with the US for a final deal. “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,” he added.
Zelenskyy said that he valued how much the US has done to help Ukraine in the war, reminiscing about the time when Trump had earlier provided Ukraine with javelins. “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,” he said.
The Ukrainian President further added that he regretted how the meeting between him and Trump did not go the way he wanted. “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,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he was ready to sign the minerals deal with the US “in any convenient format”.
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.
On Friday, during media interaction with Ukraine President at the Oval Office, Trump used some strong words, telling the visiting leader that Volodymyr Zelenskyy “does not have the cards” and is not “acting thankful” for the support the United States has provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began in February 2022.
The two leaders had an exchange in an explosive press conference with the Ukrainian President emphasising the need of security guarantees and noting that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had continued with his actions against his country even during Trump’s first term as President. (ANI)
Kyiv “absolutely determined” to cooperate with US, says PM Denys Smyhal
Kyiv [Ukriane], March 4 (ANI): Following the decision of the Donald Trump administration in the United States to halt military aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Smyhal said Kyiv is “absolutely determined to continue cooperation with the US” despite the Trump administration’s suspension of military aid, Al Jazeera reported.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Ukraine is conducting a thorough audit of what programmes will be affected and where current partnerships can pick up the slack.
The decision from the Trump administration evoked sharp criticism from leaders across various countries.
“Fundamentally, if you want peace, does a decision to suspend arms to Ukraine reinforce peace, or does it make it more distant?” French junior minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, said. “It makes it more distant because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia.” “We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort,” a British government spokesperson said in a statement. “It is the right thing to do, and is in our interest to do so.”
A spokesperson for the Hungarian government, which is diverging from its Western allies regarding Russia and its war against Ukraine, said: “The US president and the Hungarian government share the same stance,” as quoted by Al Jazeera. “Instead of continuing weapons shipments and the war, a ceasefire and peace talks are needed as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said in a letter to EU member states that the continent was facing “the most momentous and dangerous of times.”
US President Donald Trump will pause military aid to Ukraine, following a spat with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump will pause all aid until Kyiv is committed to what he determines are good-faith negotiations for peace, multiple US media outlets reported on Monday, citing unnamed Trump administration officials, as per Al Jazeera.
“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” an unnamed White House official was quoted as saying by multiple outlets, as per Al Jazeera.
“We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the official was quoted as saying.
The move came hours after Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting peace “as long he has America’s backing” in a post on Truth Social, escalating a war of words that culminated in a stunning public clash between the two leaders at the White House on Friday. The decision to suspend the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in arms and ammunition that are in the pipeline is likely to deal a serious blow to Ukraine‘s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
The Ukraine–US relationship’s lowest point was when Trump took issue with Zelenskyy’s suggestion that the end of his country’s war against Russia’s invading forces was likely still “very, very far away”, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)
