Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Oval Office row with US President Donald Trump was “regrettable” and that “it's time to fix it.”
Mr Zelensky's statement came hours after the White House announced it was suspending military aid to Ukraine.
He said Ukraine was ready to sign an agreement on its rare earth minerals that the Trump administration had sought.
In an apparent reference to Mr Trump's criticism after a contentious White House meeting on Friday that Mr Zelensky did not want a peace deal, the Ukrainian leader said: “None of us wants an endless war.”
“Ukraine is ready to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. No one wants peace more than the Ukrainian people. My team and I are ready to work under the strong leadership of President Trump to achieve lasting peace,” he said.
Mr Zelensky said the meeting “did not go as expected”.
“It is unfortunate that this happened. It is time to put things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
The US decision to suspend military aid has caused alarm and concern in his country.
Mr Zelensky's statement came ahead of Mr Trump's expected speech to the US Congress on Tuesday.
“As for the agreement on mineral resources and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format,” Mr. Zelensky said.
“We see this agreement as a step towards greater security and reliable security guarantees, and I sincerely hope that it will work effectively.”
Mr Zelensky's post comes as officials in Kyiv say they are grateful for vital US assistance in the war and want to continue to cooperate with Washington.
The country's prime minister, however, has said Ukraine still wants security guarantees to be part of any peace deal and does not recognize Russia's occupation of any Ukrainian land – potential sticking points for Washington and Moscow, respectively.
Ukraine and its allies are concerned that Trump is pushing for a quick cease-fire that would benefit Russia, which Kyiv says cannot be trusted to honor the truce.
A White House spokesman said the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure it contributes to a solution.”
The order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace talks, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the aid.
The pause in U.S. aid is not expected to have an immediate impact on the battlefield. Ukrainian troops have slowed Russian advances along a front line that stretches about 600 miles, particularly in the hotly contested Donetsk region, about 400 miles east of Kyiv.
The Russian offensive required heavy losses in manpower and armored vehicles, but did not bring the Kremlin any strategically significant breakthrough.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
