Residents take their belongings out of a building destroyed after a drone attack in Odesa on Wednesday--AFP NEW YORK, Mar 05 (Reuters/AFP): US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which the Ukrainian leader expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table over the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians," Trump said in an address to Congress on Tuesday while quoting from the letter.
Trump also said he had been in "serious discussions with Russia" and had "received strong signals that they are ready for peace".
"Wouldn't that be beautiful?" he said. "It's time to stop this madness. It's time to halt the killing. It's time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars you have to talk to both sides." Trump was expected to further outline his plans for Ukraine and Russia in the speech to Congress, but did not reveal any further details on how he plans to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two.
Trump said Ukraine was ready to sign a minerals deal with the US, which Washington says is crucial to secure continued US backing for Ukraine's defence.
Four sources told Reuters that the Trump administration and Ukraine plan to sign the deal in return for military aid, which Trump has paused. But later on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News, "There is no signing planned," according to a post on X by a Fox reporter.
Trump gave no further details on the minerals deal, leaving its fate unclear. Early on Tuesday, Zelensky pledged to repair relations with the US after what he described as a "regrettable" Oval Office clash with Trump last week.
Zelenskiy said he wanted to "make things right" and was ready "any time and in any convenient format" to sign the minerals deal, which he left on the table during a visit to Washington after the Oval Office argument with Trump.
His statement came a day after Trump halted military aid to Ukraine, his latest move to upend US policy and adopt a more conciliatory stance toward Russia.
"My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts," Zelensky said in his statement on X. The statement made no mention of the pause in US military supplies.
Kremlin 'positive' about
prospect of peace
talks with Ukraine
The Kremlin on Wednesday said it was "positive" about comments by US President Donald Trump who said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "ready" for peace talks with Russia.
"This approach is generally positive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a conference call in answer to a question from AFP.
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