Ukrainian President said that the Oval Office blowup with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump last week was “regrettable,” adding that he stands ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to get a lasting peace, writes TIME.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s remarks - an apparent attempt to placate Trump - came in a social media post on X, hours after the White House announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine that is critical to fighting Russia’s invasion. But later during his nightly address, he indicated that Ukraine hadn’t received direct notification from the U.S. that aid had been cut and was seeking confirmation.

“I have instructed Ukraine’s minister of defense, the heads of our intelligence agencies and our diplomats to contact their counterparts in the US and obtain official information. People should not have to guess. Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another. Especially when it comes to protecting lives during a full-scale war”, - he said.

He also added Ukraine is ready to sign a lucrative deal on rare-earth minerals and security with Washington. Trump said during his address to Congress late Tuesday that he received a letter from Zelenskyy saying as much and that it noted Kyiv valued “how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence”.

“I appreciate that he sent this letter, just got it a little while ago”, - Trump said. “Simultaneously, we’ve had serious discussion with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace”.