Trump Says Zelenskyy Is Welcome Back at the White House

Trump’s confirmation that Zelenskyy is welcome back at the White House follows a breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, as Kyiv agrees to cease-fire.

President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington on Feb. 28, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome back at the White House, following a tense Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting during which the two leaders clashed over Trump’s cease-fire proposal as part of his effort to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House on March 11, Trump was asked whether Zelenskyy is invited back to the White House, to which the president nodded and replied, “Sure.”

Confirmation that Zelenskyy is welcome back at the White House came the same day Ukraine said it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in its war with Russia, pending Kremlin agreement. Trump is seeking to broker a peace deal that would see the warring sides put down their arms and enter into a negotiated settlement to the more than three-year conflict.

Tensions between the two leaders were on public display during the contentious Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting, during which Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept a ceasefire and engage in direct talks with Moscow. Zelenskyy resisted, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not be trusted to uphold any agreement.

Following the meeting, Trump accused Zelenskyy of using U.S. military aid to prolong the conflict rather than seeking a diplomatic resolution. Shortly afterward, Trump suspended U.S. intelligence sharing and military assistance to Ukraine, increasing pressure on Kyiv to accept a ceasefire while urging European allies to take on a greater share of support.

In an effort to mend ties, Zelenskyy later apologized to Trump and expressed a willingness to negotiate. Delegations from Washington and Kyiv convened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11 for talks that resulted in Ukraine agreeing to a 30-day cease-fire. In response, the United States pledged to lift its pause on intelligence sharing and security assistance.

According to a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department, both sides agreed to appoint negotiating teams and begin discussions on a lasting peace that ensures Ukraine’s long-term security. The United States committed to presenting ceasefire proposals to Russia, while Ukraine emphasized the importance of European involvement in the process.

Trump and Zelenskyy have also agreed to quickly conclude the much-anticipated economic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, which will involve joint development of Ukraine’s critical mineral resources and “guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security,” per the joint statement.

Speaking in Jeddah, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States would now take the ceasefire proposal to Moscow. “We’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court.”

“If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here,” Rubio continued. “But the president has been abundantly clear he wants the shooting to stop, he wants the warfare to stop, he wants the dying and the suffering to stop.”

Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday that he hopes the Russia-Ukraine cease-fire proposal can be solidified “over the next few days.”

“I know we have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue,” Trump said.

The president added that if Russia refuses to agree to the cease-fire, it means that the fighting will continue and “a lot of people are going to get killed.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed to Russian state media Tass that Russian and U.S. officials are expected to communicate in the next few days.