"No one among us wants an endless war. We are ready to work for a sustained peace under President Trump's strong leadership."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted on the 4th (local time) that he is prepared to end the conflict with the U.S. and negotiate, expressing reconciliation regarding the disruptions during the summit with President Donald Trump on the 28th.
According to Bloomberg News, Zelensky mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) about his meeting with Trump at the White House, saying, "Our meeting at the White House did not go as expected," and added, "It is regrettable that it unfolded this way." He continued, "It is now time to rectify the situation. We hope for constructive cooperation and communication moving forward."
He further stated, "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring sustainable peace closer. No one wants peace more than Ukrainians," and added, "My team and I are ready to work for sustainable peace under President Trump's strong leadership," emphasizing, "Then we will move quickly through all stages and seek a strong final agreement in cooperation with the United States."
Zelensky expressed gratitude for the support that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine. He stated, "We truly value what the U.S. has done to maintain Ukraine's sovereignty and independence," and recalled, "President Trump providing Javelins (anti-tank missiles) changed the situation. We are grateful for that." This appears to be a response to Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticizing Zelensky for not adequately expressing gratitude during his visit to the White House.
He also indicated that he is ready to sign the mineral agreement that the U.S. has wanted. Initially, the U.S. and Ukraine were scheduled to sign the mineral agreement on the 28th. However, the signing did not take place due to a dispute between Trump and Zelensky, and the U.S. informed Zelensky to leave the White House. Zelensky stated, "Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign in a convenient format at any time," and added, "We see this agreement as a step toward greater and more robust security guarantees, and we sincerely hope it will work effectively."
Zelensky also spoke for the first time about ceasefire options that day. He said, "We are ready to work quickly to end the war, and the first steps are the release of prisoners and a ceasefire in the skies, specifically a ban on bombs on missiles, long-range drones, energy, and other civilian infrastructure, and if Russia does the same, an immediate ceasefire at sea could be achieved," adding, "Then we want to move rapidly through all subsequent steps and cooperate with the U.S. to agree on a strong final deal."
Earlier, on the 4th, Trump ordered a complete halt to military aid to Ukraine. According to Bloomberg News, all military assistance currently provided will be suspended until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders have demonstrated a "good-faith commitment to peace." Accordingly, all military aid not yet delivered to Ukraine, including weapons being transported by plane or ship or materials waiting for delivery from third countries like Poland, will stop. However, what a "good-faith commitment to peace" precisely means has not been specifically revealed. On the 5th, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources, that "at 3:03 a.m. Ukraine time, all shipments of U.S. aid materials were halted."
CNN analyzed, "Trump's suspension of military aid to Ukraine could have a serious impact on Ukraine's ability to conduct the war," adding it represents "an attempt to force Ukraine to the negotiating table by threatening greater losses on the battlefield."