WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had sent him a letter expressing gratitude for US support and indicating Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate a peace deal with Russia.
Zelenskyy also reportedly signaled readiness to sign a critical minerals agreement with the US, a deal that could strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
Trump made the remarks during his address to Congress, just days after a tense Oval Office meeting between himself, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy. That meeting ended in a public breakdown over disagreements on US military aid and future cooperation.
Trump, addressing lawmakers, quoted Zelenskyy’s letter, saying the Ukrainian leader had expressed a desire for peace and appreciation for past US assistance.
“Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Trump read. “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians.”
According to Trump, Zelenskyy also expressed willingness to sign the minerals deal.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” Trump quoted the letter as saying. “We are ready to sign the minerals deal at any time that is convenient for you.”
Trump did not clarify whether the letter would influence his administration’s policy, particularly his recent decision to pause US military aid to Ukraine.
Earlier Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance emphasized the economic agreement as a stronger deterrent against Russia than the proposed post-war international peacekeeping force supported by Britain and France.
“The minerals deal is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
The Trump administration has argued that strengthening US-Ukraine economic ties through mineral resource agreements could serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
Vance’s comments on “random countries” sent diplomatic ripples through Europe, particularly in Britain and France, who have proposed a peacekeeping mission to secure Ukraine’s borders in the event of a truce.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have been leading the push for a multinational force, which could prevent Russia from launching another invasion.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called the vice president’s comments “wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Liberal Democrat defense spokeswoman Helen Maguire demanded that the UK ambassador to Washington seek an apology, accusing Vance of erasing the sacrifices of British soldiers who fought alongside US forces.
“JD Vance is erasing from history the hundreds of British troops who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Maguire said.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu later noted that Vance had walked back his comments, acknowledging the British and French military contributions over the past two decades.
The minerals deal was expected to be finalized during Zelenskyy’s White House visit last week. However, plans were abruptly scrapped after a heated exchange between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Ukraine is rich in strategic minerals, including titanium, lithium, and manganese, resources crucial to US aerospace, electric vehicles, and medical manufacturing. The proposed deal was seen as a way for Kyiv to repay Washington for military aid provided during the war.
With US-Ukraine relations now strained, it remains unclear whether the minerals agreement will move forward or if Trump’s administration will reconsider military aid policies in light of Zelenskyy’s letter.
