Breakthrough: Trump accepts Zelenskyy’s peace overture

Last night was important—the American president delivered his address to Congress.

A significant portion of his speech was dedicated to mocking Joe Biden, discussing the fight against egg prices, and mentioning leftist policies. This is domestic politics that Ukrainians should stay out of. We’ve already had past experiences where figures like Paul Manafort and Rudy Giuliani tried to drag us into the rivalry between Democrats and Republicans. Both of them still hold grudges against Ukrainian political elites, and as a result, they are now fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment among radical MAGA supporters.

However, Trump’s mention of the Russia-Ukraine war is worth attention. There are several important points to note.

First, thank God that Volodymyr Zelenskyy finally wrote a balanced letter with compliments to Trump on social media platform X. The recipient read it in time, sparing Ukrainians from having to endure a third of Trump’s address filled with talk about a “dictator president” who doesn’t want peace and is “like an ex-girlfriend trying to rekindle a relationship that ended nine years ago.” We had already heard colorful versions of this from Trump’s allies in the days leading up to his speech.

From the podium, Trump said: “I received a letter from Zelenskyy. They want to return to negotiations. And no one wants peace more than Ukraine. Under Trump’s leadership, America will work towards achieving peace. Ukraine is ready to sign an agreement. And we welcome that. Russia has said they are ready too. And that’s great.” This was followed by applause and an encouraging CNN report stating that Keith Kellogg had called Zelenskyy with a proposal to reestablish contact.

"The positives from Trump’s speech: As of now, he does not have a concrete agreement with Russia, which means that discussions about Ukraine’s capitulation are somewhat exaggerated. We still have a diplomatic maneuvering room."

His statement that “if you want to end the war, you have to talk to all sides” is essentially just empty rhetoric, acknowledging that negotiations with Russia are not going smoothly. The “signal” from Russia indicates that the occupiers are not ready for peace and are unsure of their position. This is something Ukraine should take advantage of.

There was also some relief in his speech—Trump did not officially announce a complete halt to U.S. aid to Ukraine. There is no official statement on the White House website either. This gives hope that his stance was just a form of pressure to secure that very diplomatic letter from Zelenskyy, signaling a willingness to negotiate and move forward. In the near future, we will likely see the continuation of negotiations over rare earth metals, which seems to be heading toward a successful outcome.

Additionally, President Zelenskyy needs to do some homework and change the team handling U.S. relations. If partners in Washington indicate that Andriy Yermak is an undesirable delegate, it’s better to keep him at home.

Many Zelenskyy supporters argue that it was a mistake for him to write a letter with flattering words to Trump, claiming he “bowed down” and showed he’s not a “macho” leader.

I’d say this: this time, the president clearly consulted with translators and diplomats—and it turned out well. Maybe British Labour leader Keir Starmer, a native English speaker, also gave some good advice, since they have spoken multiple times in recent days. This had a calming effect on the old narcissist Trump during his speech in Congress.

I think everyone knows who Margaret Thatcher was—one of the most prominent British politicians.

In the TV series The Crown, there’s an interesting episode about the preparation of a declaration on apartheid in South Africa. Queen Elizabeth II clashed with Thatcher because the prime minister refused to support sanctions against South Africa—Thatcher cared more about money than the issues of Black South Africans. It was that moment when you’re deeply concerned about Nelson Mandela, but the gold in your national bank matters more.

Eventually, Thatcher and the Queen agreed on a statement that didn’t explicitly include the word “sanctions” but was still strong and effective. After five edits, they asked a writer they knew to find the perfect wording: “Signals.”

When President Zelenskyy seeks advice from international experts, that should be welcomed. When our foreign policy is managed by Yermak, who was likely one of those privileged students at Kyiv Institute of International Relations (KIMV) who spent more time laughing at Revo on the famous sofas downstairs rather than studying, we end up with the results we’ve seen.

CNN reports that after Zelenskyy’s letter, Trump’s allies called him to restore contacts—including Keith Kellogg, who advised against rushing into that controversial visit, which could further strain relations with Trump.

Specially for Espreso

About the author: Marina Danyliuk-Yarmolaeva, journalist

The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.