'We're looking for peace, we're not looking to go into a 10-year-war,' Trump says

President Donald Trump on Feb. 28 called for an "immediate ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, warning President Volodymyr Zelensky that he must pursue peace or risk losing American support.

Trump has taken a confrontational stance towards Ukraine, criticizing Zelensky for being "disrespectful" and accusing him of gambling with World War III. Trump has pushed for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, suggesting that Ukraine should make concessions and that he could negotiate an agreement giving Ukraine "almost all of the land."

In a recent heated Oval Office meeting, Trump delivered an ultimatum to Zelensky, adding that "You're either going to make a deal or we're out," and later declared that Zelensky was not ready for peace if America is involved. Shortly after, the U.S. abruptly canceled the signing of a minerals deal with Ukraine.

Zelensky’s visit followed weeks of intense negotiations, as Ukraine pushed back against the first two draft proposals for a mineral deal, arguing they placed one-sided obligations on Kyiv without offering any security guarantees from Washington.

The proposed agreement, which had been under discussion for some time, aimed to create a fund where Ukraine would allocate half of the revenue from the future commercialization of its state-owned mineral resources—including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.

"We want peace," Trump told reporters following the meeting which, he said, "didn't work exactly great."

"He (Zelensky) overplayed his hand (...) we are not looking to go into a 10-year-war and play games, we want peace. He's going to have to make peace. He's got to stop the fighting, he's got to stop the death," Trump said, adding that Russia's President Vladimir Putin "wants to end it."

‘This kind of spat is not good for both sides,’ Zelensky says following Oval Office clash with Trump

“We want peace... that’s why I visited President Trump,” Zelensky said following a heated exchange in the White House, adding that he hopes that Trump would show stronger support for Ukraine rather than positioning himself as a mediator in the war.

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat