Zelensky Issues a Tacit Apology

Volodymyr Zelensky took a major step on Tuesday toward mending ties with President Trump, issuing what amounts to a tacit apology for what he called last Friday’s “regrettable” White House

slugfest. The question now is whether Mr. Trump will take yes for an answer and put comparable pressure on Vladimir Putin to negotiate a durable peace.

“My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Mr. Zelensky said in a post on X.com. He reiterated Ukraine’s gratitude for U.S. weapons and financial support. Ukraine is ready at “any time and in any convenient format” to sign the minerals agreement that Mr. Trump sees as a precursor to a broader peace deal, Mr. Zelensky added.

Give credit to Ukraine’s president for the grace note, which recognizes the reality that his country needs American help to forge an honorable peace, and maybe to survive as a sovereign nation. The important point is to move past Friday’s mess.

Will Mr. Trump accept this show of respect? It isn’t clear after Administration officials leaked that they have “paused” the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. This includes arms already in the pipeline. Sources say a main weapons transit point in Poland was essentially shut down on Tuesday.