Trump may restore Ukraine aid if peace talks progress, says White House

President Donald Trump is open to reinstating military aid to Ukraine, provided that peace negotiations move forward and certain trust-building steps are taken, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said Wednesday.

Trump suspended military assistance to Ukraine on Monday, signaling a shift in U.S. foreign policy with a more diplomatic approach toward Russia. On Tuesday night, he revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had sent a letter expressing a willingness to engage in peace talks.

Waltz described the letter as a “positive first step” and confirmed that officials are already working on determining a date, location, and representatives for the negotiations aimed at ending the war.

“We’re discussing confidence-building measures, which we will then present to Russia to assess their response,” Waltz said in an interview on Fox & Friends. However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of these measures.

Trump also mentioned that Ukraine is prepared to sign a minerals deal with the U.S., which Washington sees as essential for maintaining its support of Ukraine’s defense efforts.

“If we can secure these negotiations and introduce meaningful confidence-building measures, the president will strongly consider lifting the aid suspension,” Waltz added. “We need to ensure that both sides are genuinely working toward a phased, and ultimately permanent, peace.”