President Donald Trump received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, offering an apology following their tense interaction at the White House two weeks ago. This apology, which the White House reportedly insisted upon, was intended to repair the strained relationship between the two nations.
In his March 4 speech before a joint session of Congress, Trump shared that he had received “an important letter” from Zelenskyy. The letter expressed Ukraine’s willingness to begin peace talks with Russia “as soon as possible” and acknowledged the significant support the U.S. has provided to help Ukraine preserve its sovereignty and independence.
Trump also revealed that the letter outlined Ukraine’s readiness to sign an agreement granting the U.S. access to the country’s vast mineral resources, along with ensuring protection against potential future Russian attacks.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump commented.
The letter also contained an apology regarding the heated confrontation that occurred in the Oval Office on February 28 between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, confirmed this on Monday, as reported by The Hill.
“Zelenskyy sent a letter to the president,” Witkoff shared during an interview with Fox News. “He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office. I think that it was an important step, and there’s been a lot of discussion between our teams and the Ukrainians and the Europeans who are relevant to this discussion, as well.”
U.S. officials, including Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and national security adviser Mike Waltz, alongside Ukrainian officials such as Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to participate in peace negotiations.
Although Zelenskyy was in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, he is not expected to take part in the talks.
Following the Oval Office dispute, Trump paused U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Witkoff emphasized the importance of discussing security measures for Ukraine, territorial concerns, and a strategic plan during the Saudi talks.
“These are not complicated things, they just … need to be put on the table, and everybody needs to be transparent about what their expectations are, then we can begin to have a discussion about how we compromise,” Witkoff explained, according to The Hill.
{Matzav.com}

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