Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated he’s prepared to satisfy once more with Donald Trump if the US president invitations him, however signaled that one other White Home encounter must be “critical” for him to make the journey.
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Revealed Mar 03, 2025 • 4 minute learn
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(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated he’s prepared to satisfy once more with Donald Trump if the US president invitations him, however signaled that one other White Home encounter must be “critical” for him to make the journey.
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Friday’s conflict with Trump and Vice President JD Vance left makes an attempt to get the US administration on Kyiv’s aspect in tatters. It additionally set off a scramble amongst Europeans to get the 2 leaders again to the desk as they tried to demonstrated broad help for Ukraine at a safety summit on London on Sunday.
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“We’re worthy of an equal dialogue,” Zelenskiy stated after attending the summit. If the US president invitations him “for a constructive dialogue, to resolve actual issues, for critical points and actual, decisive actions and solutions — I’ll arrive,” he stated.
Regardless of his defiant tone, Zelenskiy stated that his nation was prepared to simply accept a pure assets cope with the US. The accord was left unsigned after the Oval Workplace bust-up that marked essentially the most critical disaster between Ukraine and its largest army supporter since Russia’s full-scale invasion started three years in the past.
Holding such a dialog in public wasn’t factor for both the US or Ukraine, the Ukrainian president stated, declining a reporter request to change to English to keep away from any misinterpretation. However in a transparent try to show the web page on the dispute, he added: “I’m satisfied that the state of affairs will cross and extra vital issues are forward.”
European leaders led by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron spent the weekend in a diplomatic whirlwind as they tried to fix the break with the US. In addition they fast-tracked efforts to enhance their very own protection capabilities within the wake of Trump’s outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin to finish the battle in Ukraine — doubtlessly over their heads.
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Their hope is to influence Trump to remain engaged with Europe and Ukraine earlier than his peace talks with Putin advance additional.
The UK and France are looking for to construct what Starmer referred to as a “coalition of the prepared” to take part in peacekeeping forces and assist reassure Kyiv concerning the sturdiness of any peace. Britain, France and “one or two” different international locations will work with Ukraine on a “plan to cease the preventing,” Starmer stated Sunday.
Macron informed Le Figaro newspaper after the gathering that the EU ought to present €200 billion ($208 billion) to spice up its army capabilities, a subject that might be mentioned by leaders at an emergency summit in Brussels on March 6.
However some disagreements have additionally began to emerge. Macron informed Le Figaro that he and Starmer are engaged on a plan to achieve a one-month truce in Ukraine that would come with air and maritime operations in addition to securing power infrastructure.
A British official disputed that such a truce had been agreed to as a part of the plan, including that there hasn’t been any settlement on a timeline for a ceasefire.
In his interview, Macron stated that troopers would solely be deployed on the bottom in a second part — “there might be no European troops on Ukrainian soil within the coming weeks” — and that the areas he outlined for a attainable truce could be verifiable if there have been breaches. He acknowledged it could be very tough to take action alongside the japanese frontline.
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Kremlin responds
The Kremlin, in its first official response, stated on Monday that the “unprecedented” flare-up on the White Home between Trump and Zelenskiy confirmed that Western unity is beginning to crumble.
Zelenskiy’s stance means it is going to be a lot more durable to achieve a settlement of the Ukraine battle, stated Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, based on Interfax. “The Kyiv regime and Zelenskiy are not looking for peace, they need the continuation of the battle,” he stated.
On this state of affairs, Washington’s efforts and Moscow’s readiness are clearly not sufficient, as a vital aspect is lacking, Peskov stated. Talking about Putin’s response, the Kremlin spokesman stated: “He took under consideration what occurred.”
The debacle in Washington hinted on the private animus between Zelenskiy and Trump, and shortly escalated the US political assaults on Ukraine’s president. US Vice President JD Vance branded Zelenskiy disrespectful and instructed that his intransigence, somewhat than Moscow’s aggression, was the obstacle to a US-brokered ceasefire with Russia.
Zelenskiy, although, has no plans to go away workplace, based on his aides. His political future is a matter for the Ukrainian individuals and nobody else, he stated, telling UK media on Sunday that “given what’s going on, given the help, merely changing me won’t be easy.”
Whereas Zelenskiy acknowledged Ukraine’s dependence on US help, expressed his thanks and respect for Trump, each major political events and the US as an entire, he steered away from apologizing fro Friday’s occasions.
He defended his proper to face up for the dignity of his nation and its individuals, and urged companions to point out understanding for the struggling endured by Ukraine by the hands of Russia.
“I’m prepared for any format of constructive relations with the US,” Zelenskiy stated.
—With help from Henry Meyer.
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