Moscow takes a positive view of Zelenskyy saying he is willing to negotiate over the war, the Kremlin said.
Donald Trump said Ukraine is ready to begin peace negotiations “as soon as possible”, with strong signals Russia is also ready for a deal.
During an address to Congress, the US president read aloud a letter he said he’d received from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was similar to a message posted on X earlier in the day
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added, however, that it was not clear how this would work because Ukraine had a legal ban on negotiating with Russia.
“Overall, the approach is positive, but the details have not changed yet,” Peskov said.
He was referring to a Zelenskyy decree in 2022 that ruled out negotiations with Vladimir Putin.
Some of Zelenskyy’s political opposition in Ukraine have reacted positively to the letter.
Oleksiy Honcharenko said it was the “right move”, with the opposition MP adding “it is good that he admitted the mistake” – referring to last week’s Oval Office spat between Zelenskyy and Trump.
Former MP Boryslav Bereza also commended the letter, describing it as an “apology” and saying the president “behaved with dignity”.
Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ukrainian government, told Sky News the letter was a “very welcome development” after a stormy few days for the US-Ukraine relationship.
Referring to the White House showdown between Trump and Zelenskyy on Friday, Sak said the “fiery exchange” was “very unfortunate”.
“This is what President Zelenskyy said in his letter and we are hopeful that emotions can be put aside and we will move forward,” he said.
European Union leaders will meet in Brussels tomorrow to discuss further support for Ukraine and European security.
In a press statement, the European Council says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited.
It follows last weekend’s talks in London between European leaders and other allies, after which UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war.