WASHINGTON, D.C. — In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Trump covered a range of topics, from tariffs to immigration — but a key moment came when he read aloud a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it," Trump read, quoting Zelenskyy’s letter, which was also posted publicly on the Ukrainian president’s social media. Trump went on to say that Russia has sent 'strong signals' indicating a willingness to negotiate peace — something he called "beautiful."
Despite Trump’s optimism, Russia has continued its bombardment of Ukraine this week. And on Wednesday, the CIA Director confirmed that the U.S. has paused intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, further complicating the conflict.
ABC 10News reporter Madison Weil sat down with Dr. Mikhail Alexseev, a political science professor at San Diego State University who was born in Kyiv.
"Talking to friends and family…you know, people do express the feeling of an existential threat returning," Alexseev said.
Alexseev has devoted much of his career to research on Ukraine. He says there is only actor who could stop this war at any time: "Russia initiated the war. It's their war of choice, and if they were serious about negotiating, they can do it by simply stopping the attacks. And asking Ukrainians to stop the counter attacks," he said.
While Trump's speech on Tuesday embodied a softer tone towards Zelenskyy, especially compared to their tense Oval Office exchange last week, experts say his speech lacked clarity on the specifics of a potential peace deal.
"The question we have to ask is: What exactly does the Trump administration mean when they say Russia also needs to make concessions?" Alexseev said.
It's still not clear what security assurances Ukraine would receive in exchange for its critical mineral resources, and what concessions, if any, Russia would be expected to make.
