Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the United States for its support, emphasizing that "despite a tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners", which the Head of State wrote on Saturday in X, according to UNN.
We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion
America's help, the President of Ukraine noted, "has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that".
Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals. It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival
On the minerals agreement and security guaranteesWe are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side.
We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side.
The President noted that "he cannot change Ukraine's position on russia". "The Russians are killing us. Russia is the enemy, and that’s the reality we face. Ukraine wants peace, but it must be a just and lasting peace. For that, we need to be strong at the negotiation table. Peace can only come when we know we have security guarantees, when our army is strong, and our partners are with us," the Head of State emphasized.
"We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow," Zelenskyy said.
"It will be difficult without the U.S. support. But we can’t lose our will, our freedom, or our people. We’ve seen how Russians came to our homes and killed many people. Nobody wants another wave of occupation. If we cannot be accepted to NATO, we need some clear structure of security guarantees from our allies in the U.S.," the President wrote.
In his words, "Europe is ready for contingencies and to help fund our large army". "We also need the U.S. role in defining security guarantees - what kind, what volume, and when. Once these guarantees are in place, we can talk with Russia, Europe, and the U.S. about diplomacy. War alone is too long, and we don’t have enough weapons to push them out entirely," he pointed out.
"When someone talks about losses, every single life matters. Russia invaded our homes, killed our people, and tried to erase us. This isn’t just about territories or numbers - it’s about real lives. That’s what we need everyone to understand," the Head of State emphasized.
On US support
"I want the U.S. to stand more firmly on our side. This is not just a war between our two countries; Russia brought this war onto our territory and into our homes. They are wrong because they disrespected our territorial integrity," Zelenskyy said.
As the President stated, "all Ukrainians want to hear a strong U.S. position on our side". "It’s understandable the U.S. might look for dialogue with Putin. But the U.S. has always spoken about ‘peace through strength.’ And together we can take strong steps against Putin," he said.
"Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders; it’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. That’s why I always begin with words of gratitude from our nation to the American nation. American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them," Zelenskyy summed up.
Context
A tense confrontation arose between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House.
Later, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelenskyy allegedly was not ready for peace, and added that the Ukrainian leader may return when he is ready for peace.
Zelenskyy left the White House early after the confrontation with Trump.
CNN, citing a source, reported that the rare earth minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine was not signed on Friday after the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
Later, President Zelenskyy made his first statement after the unexpected end of the meeting, thanking America for its support, for this visit. He thanked the President, Congress and the American people. Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, "and we are working for this".