Donald Trump will invite Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire with Russia.
Trump said he expects to speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this week and hopes Moscow will agree to the terms.
Following Tuesday’s talks between Ukraine and the U.S., the two nations issued a joint statement that the White House would “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine.” The statement added that Kyiv had “expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal for an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties and is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation.”
“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace,” the statement read.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Mr. Trump said, “Ceasefire… Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it.” He added that he hopes the ceasefire will take effect “over the next few days” and he will speak to Mr. Putin this week, as “it takes two to tango.”
When asked if Zelensky was invited back to the White House, Mr. Trump responded, “Sure, absolutely.” The Ukrainian president’s previous visit to Washington last month ended in a diplomatic clash after an Oval Office meeting between the two leaders turned into a shouting match.
Mr. Trump referred to the last meeting, stating, “I think it’s a big difference between the last visit you saw in the Oval Office, and this.”
Mr. Zelensky confirmed Ukraine’s acceptance of the U.S. proposal for a “complete” 30-day truce. “Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, and we are ready to take such a step.
The United States of America must convince Russia to do this,” he said.
On March 11, President Trump said that Zelensky is welcome to return to the White House following talks in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Trump reiterated that Ukraine had accepted a full 30-day ceasefire proposal during negotiations in Jeddah and expressed hope that “Russia will agree to it.”
“We’re going to meet with them (Russia) later on today and tomorrow, and hopefully, we’ll be able to work out a deal. I think the ceasefire is very important,” Trump said.
This development follows weeks of strained ties between Kyiv and Washington after a heated Oval Office exchange between Trump and Zelensky on February 28.
The clash derailed plans to sign a bilateral mineral resources deal and led to the suspension of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. In the aftermath, White House officials indicated that Zelensky would need to apologize and commit to peace talks to restore discussions.
On March 4, Zelensky called the confrontation “regrettable” and reaffirmed his willingness to work toward peace under Trump’s “strong leadership.”
Following negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine confirmed its readiness to implement a temporary 30-day ceasefire, contingent on Russia’s adherence to the agreement.
This marks a significant shift, as Ukrainian officials had previously warned that any pause in fighting would allow Russia to regroup and prepare for future offensives.
The talks in Jeddah also resulted in Washington restoring military and intelligence support to Ukraine, reversing Trump’s earlier decision to suspend assistance after the February 28 dispute.
