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Zelenskyy: White House meeting with Trump “did not go as expected”

Following reports of a ‘catastrophic’ White House meeting that resulted in suspended military aid, President Zelenskyy attempts to salvage relations by emphasizing Ukraine’s readiness for peace.

byOlena Mukhina

04/03/2025

2 minute read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Source: Office of the Ukraine’s President

Zelenskyy: White House meeting with Trump “did not go as expected”

On 4 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House “did not go as expected,” as per UNIAN.

His claims came after US President Donald Trump ordered a full halt of military aid to Ukraine after a meeting in the White House, which was described by reports as “catastrophic” and “unprecedented.” Despite Zelenskyy’s repeated statements that Kyiv wants peace and the absence of such statements from Russia, Trump accused the Ukrainian president of lacking a desire for peace. Currently, all that the US and Russia have agreed upon is the restoration of diplomatic relations, which, according to American intelligence reports, Russia likely plans to use to return its spies to the US.

“It’s unfortunate that this happened. Now is the time to make things right. We hope that future cooperation and dialogue will be constructive,” said Zelenskyy.

He reiterated that Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals and security agreement at any time, viewing it as a step toward strengthening security and securing reliable guarantees.

“I want to emphasize once again that Ukraine seeks peace. None of us want an endless war. Ukraine is ready to sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible to achieve a lasting peace,” he stated.

Zelenskyy also outlined potential initial steps toward ending the war, including the release of prisoners and a ceasefire at sea and in the air—prohibiting the use of missiles, long-range drones, and strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure. He added that Ukraine aims to move swiftly through the next phases and reach a strong final agreement with the US.

The Ukrainian president concluded his post by recalling a “pivotal moment” when Trump provided Ukraine with FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile systems.

Earlier, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen expressed skepticism that Washington’s pivot towards Russia will bring an end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine, predicting that US President Donald Trump would eventually realize his strategy was ineffective.

Finland doubts Trump’s pivot towards Moscow will end Russo-Ukrainian war

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