Zelensky's sudden change of heart: I'm grateful to Trump and I'm ready to make peace 

In the shadow of a war that has stretched into its third brutal year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an olive branch to U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling a readiness to recalibrate a relationship that stumbled spectacularly just days ago.

“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go how it was supposed to be. Regrettably, it happened this way. It is time to make things right,” Zelensky declared in a statement released this week. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.” The words carry the weight of a leader chastened yet resolute, emerging from a diplomatic wreckage to chart a new course.

The Washington Debacle: A Clash of Visions

The Friday summit was meant to be a triumph of deal-making—a capstone to months of talks over a minerals and security agreement that Zelensky first floated in his “Victory Plan” last September. Instead, it descended into chaos. Inside the Oval Office, before a stunned press corps, Trump and Vice President JD Vance confronted Zelensky in a public airing of grievances. Trump, bristling at what he saw as ingratitude for billions in U.S. aid, demanded a ceasefire with Russia and threatened to pull support: “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out.” Vance piled on, accusing Zelensky of diplomatic overreach. Zelensky, in turn, insisted on ironclad security guarantees, warning that Russia had violated 25 ceasefires in a decade—a point he drove home with clipped precision.

The minerals deal, billed as a lifeline for Ukraine and a strategic win for the U.S., remained unsigned. Zelensky left abruptly, scrapping a joint press conference, while Trump later vented on Truth Social: “Zelensky is not ready for peace if America is involved.” It was a low ebb in a partnership that has channeled over $120 billion in U.S. aid since Russia’s 2022 invasion—though Trump inflates it to $350 billion—and a stark reminder of the stakes as Ukraine battles manpower shortages and Russian gains near Pokrovsk.

A Nod to the Past, A Hand to the Future

Zelensky’s statement pivots from that rancor with deliberate grace. “We remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this,” he said, invoking a defining act of Trump’s first term. In 2017, Trump greenlit the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles, delivered in 2018—a break from Obama-era hesitance that armed Ukraine against Russian armor. Those weapons became symbols of defiance in the early days of the invasion, and Zelensky’s reference is no accident: it’s a bridge to Trump’s pride, a reminder of a shared history that turned the tide.

But this is more than nostalgia—it’s strategy. By pledging to work “under President Trump’s strong leadership,” Zelensky bends toward Trump’s transactional worldview, a shift from his earlier defiance of ceasefire proposals he deemed naive. In the Oval Office, he had bristled at Trump’s calls for a quick peace, fearing it would lock in Russian gains without deterring future aggression. Now, he offers deference, betting that alignment with Trump’s ego and authority might secure the support Ukraine desperately needs.

The Minerals Deal: Security Through Resources

At the core of this reset is the minerals and security agreement—a pact Zelensky says Ukraine is “ready to sign anytime and in any convenient format.” It’s a bold play, rooted in Ukraine’s untapped wealth: Europe’s largest reserves of graphite, lithium, titanium, and uranium, according to its own estimates. These resources—vital for batteries, aerospace, and defense—could reduce U.S. dependence on China and Russia, a prospect Trump has hyped as a “trillion-dollar deal.” Initial demands for a $500 billion stake were rebuffed by Zelensky as “colonial,” but revised terms propose a “Reconstruction Investment Fund,” splitting revenues without debt clauses.

The deal’s contours have shifted since late 2024, when Trump’s re-election loomed large. Zelensky first pitched it as a way to “repay” U.S. aid—estimated at $175 billion by some—while tying it to security guarantees. Trump saw it as a business coup, but early drafts lacked the firm commitments Zelensky sought. “It’s a framework,” he told CNN on February 26, “but it needs more.” His current flexibility suggests a gamble: that Trump’s “strong leadership” might deliver what paperwork alone hasn’t.

Yet the minerals’ promise is murky. Half of Ukraine’s rare earths lie in Russian-held eastern territories, and Soviet-era surveys leave their scale uncertain. Experts question Trump’s lofty valuations, and Zelensky knows the deal’s true value lies in the security it could anchor—guarantees to bolster Ukraine against a Russia that struck Kharkiv with drones on February 28, wounding nine civilians.

The Bigger Picture: A Leader Under Pressure

Zelensky’s pivot comes at a crossroads. Russia controls 20% of Ukraine’s land, its forces grinding forward despite heavy losses. At home, Zelensky faces a war-weary populace and a military stretched thin. Abroad, Trump’s second term—inaugurated in January 2025—has brought uncertainty. His calls with Vladimir Putin, excluding Ukraine, and softened stance on Russia have rattled Kyiv. In the Oval Office, Zelensky accused Trump of echoing “Russian disinformation,” a charge that fueled the clash.

Europe has stepped into the breach. After the Washington fallout, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelensky in Paris on March 1, planning a London summit on March 2-3 to rally a “coalition of the willing.” Yet U.S. support remains Ukraine’s lifeline, and Zelensky’s statement reflects a pragmatic calculus: Trump holds the cards, and Ukraine must play them.

Trump’s Lens: A Deal-Maker’s Moment

For Trump, the minerals deal is a signature move—proof of his deal-making prowess for a base that cheers his “America First” ethos. Post-clash, aides like Scott Bessent signaled openness to talks, and Zelensky’s conciliatory tone could pave the way. But skepticism lingers. U.S. officials doubt Ukraine’s resources match Trump’s hype, and European allies fear his coziness with Putin—whose deputy, Dmitry Medvedev, gloated over the Oval Office spat as a “slap down”—could undermine Ukraine’s fight.

A Fragile Hope

Zelensky’s words—“I truly hope it will work effectively”—carry a quiet vulnerability. On March 1, he posted on X: “We are ready to sign the minerals agreement… a first step toward security guarantees.” Now, he doubles down, tying it to Trump’s leadership. It’s a high-stakes bet from a leader who rose from comedian to wartime icon, navigating Ukraine through invasion with a tenacity that has inspired the world. His Instagram posts from the frontlines, his defiance in Kyiv’s streets—these are the man now bending toward compromise.

The deal’s fate is unclear. A return to Washington or talks in London could seal it, but Russia watches closely, its drones a reminder of the war’s unrelenting toll. For Zelensky, this is more than diplomacy—it’s survival. For Trump, it’s a chance to cement a legacy. For Ukraine, caught between East and West, it’s a lifeline threading through minerals and missiles, a fragile hope that peace might yet endure.