Brussels – Moves to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Kyiv: In a speech before Congress, Donald Trump seemed to soften his tone toward Volodymyr Zelensky, throwing water on the fire that flared following the catastrophic meeting in the Oval Office last week. In turn, the Ukrainian leader made himself available to re-negotiate the controversial agreement on critical raw materials with the White House and, more generally, the conditions for a ceasefire with Russia.
Peace in sight?
Speaking during a joint session of Congress yesterday (March 4), the US president announced that he had received a letter that his Ukrainian counterpart sent to him personally. “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Trump said, quoting a passage from the missive.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” he added, contextually stressing to have had “serious discussions” with Moscow, from which he reportedly received “strong signals” about Vladimir Putin‘s readiness to engage in negotiations, claiming that the Russians would be “ready for peace.” “It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end the senseless war,” he said, stressing that “if you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.” There have, after all, already been two high-level meetings between US and Russian officials and diplomats, first in Riyadh and then in Istanbul.
For his part, Zelensky said he was ready to work “under the strong leadership of President Trump” and showed gratitude for Washington’s support during these years of war. The Ukrainian leader had previously delivered the same message on X, noting that “none of us want an endless war” and that “we greatly appreciate what America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence.”
“The turning point” in US support for Ukrainian resistance against Russian imperialism, Zelensky acknowledged (apparently taking to heart the suggestion he received a few days ago from NATO head Mark Rutte), was the supply of Javelin anti-tank rockets in 2019 that Trump decided in his first term: “We are grateful,” he wrote.
The Ukrainian president also outlined the possible steps toward a potential ceasefire. “The first steps could be the release of prisoners and the truce in the sky,” meaning a moratorium on the use of drones, missiles, and aerial bombardment, “and a truce at sea,” an idea also contained in the draft agreement that France and the UK are reportedly working on. “Then we want to move very quickly through all the subsequent stages and work with the United States to agree on a strong final deal,” Zelensky continued.
So the shock announcement of the stop of US military aid, which the White House occupant dropped like a bombshell just the day before yesterday, seems to have worked. According to several observers, it would have been mainly a move to put pressure on Kyiv (in line with Trump’s muscular and transactional approach to international relations), which reportedly finally paid off.
The Minerals Agreement
And the controversial Ukrainian Critical Commodities Agreement, which had been the focus of the disastrous meeting on Friday in the Oval Office but the signing of which fell through following the verbal aggression by Trump and his deputy JD Vance against Zelensky, appears to be back on the table. “Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that is convenient for you,” the US president said, reading from the letter.
The tycoon reiterated his belief that this agreement would help bring the end of hostilities in the former Soviet republic closer by securing a US financial stake in the latter’s future. On the one hand, he says, it is a way for US taxpayers to “take back” a portion of the billions of dollars paid to Kyiv over three years of conflict. On the other, again, according to Trump’s reading, having US workers on its territory represents the best security guarantee for Ukraine against any new Russian attack.
It is unclear whether the terms of the pact have remained the same or have changed. The latest draft of the document – which had replaced a couple of earlier versions whose wording had been deemed too disadvantageous by the Ukrainian leadership – envisaged establishing a joint investment fund for the reconstruction of the country, co-managed by Kyiv and Washington, but did not include any military commitment by the United States to ensure compliance with any truce.
What is clear is the intense diplomatic work between the two administrations, albeit behind the scenes, to make this agreement see the light of day. US officials are reportedly urging their Ukrainian counterparts to convince Zelensky to publicly apologize for the events broadcast worldwide on Friday, thus making him take responsibility for them. For now, the Ukrainian president said on X that Friday’s talks “did not go as they should,” regretting their “deplorable” outcome. “It is time to put things right,” he continued, holding out an olive branch to the tycoon: “We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
Trump recently complained that Kyiv “should be more grateful” to Washington since “this country has stood by (the Ukrainians, Ed.) through thick and thin,” moreover repeating false claims that the United States has contributed “far more than Europe” to Ukrainian resistance. Numbers in hand, US aid amounts to about $114 billion from 2022 to the present (less than half of the $350 billion that Trump boasts about), while the countries of the Old Continent contributed a total of $132 billion.
Then-president-elect Donald Trump (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Dec. 7, 2024 (photo: Ludovic Marin/Afp)
Trump won’t let up on Greenland and Panama
In front of congressmen and senators, the US president also confirmed his intention — expressed in early January, even before his inauguration–to take control of Greenland “one way or another,” claiming that he was ready to welcome under US jurisdiction the population of the Danish autonomous territory. “We will keep you safe,” he promised, and “we will make you rich.” In fact, Greenlanders don’t seem intent on making the switch from Copenhagen to Washington.
Trump used a similar aggressive tone toward Panama (where he says he wants to “reclaim” the Canal of the same name), finally claiming the introduction of customs duties against Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading partners.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
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