Zelensky: 'Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said his country “is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves,” pushing back on Republican claims that he is obstructing peace talks.

“Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a just and reliable peace. We want this war to end,” Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X, in the wake of a heated Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Vice President Vance on Friday.

Zelensky said Russia's "aerial terror" on Ukraine continues, with 1,050 drone attacks, nearly 1,300 bombs, and more than 20 missiles fire at Ukraine within the past week.

“Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles,” the Ukrainian president added. “To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world.”

The Friday meeting between Trump and Zelensky started off cordial, but went off the rails when the vice president pushed Zelensky on "diplomacy," prompting the Ukrainian leader to ask “what kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?” — pointing to past examples of Russian President Vladimir Putin flouting past ceasefire agreements.

Following the meeting, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Ukrainian president “is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”

Trump has been pushing for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, with senior U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Saudi Arabia last month.

Democrats say Trump has already made key concessions to Russia before negotations begin, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying last month that Ukraine should not expect to join NATO or get back all of its Russian-occupied territory.

Zelensky was ostensibly visiting Washington to sign a minerals deal that could have given U.S. access to Ukraine's natural resources revenue, in exchange for some degree of ongoing economic and security partnership.

“Strengthening our air defense, supporting our army, and ensuring effective security guarantees that will make the return of Russian aggression impossible — this is what we must focus on,” Zelensky said in his Monday X post.

“Justice must prevail. We believe in the power of unity, and we will certainly restore lasting peace.”

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