I appreciate that he sent this letter, just got it a little while ago.

Simultaneously, we've had serious discussions with Russia

and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace.

Wouldn't that be beautiful?

Wouldn't that be beautiful?

But will President Zelenskyy's olive branch to Donald Trump

be enough to secure Ukraine's future and his own?

Welcome to PowerPlay Politico's weekly podcast, where I talk to some of the voices

who will shape transatlantic thinking in the new Trump era. I'm Anne McElvoy and if you haven't already, please follow this podcast.

My guest this week is one of the most senior politicians in Ukraine,

Alexander Marechko, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee and who's a staunch

ally of President Zelensky.

After that bruising encounter in the Oval Office, Zelensky issued an 11th hour

apology to the American president and said he was ready to sign the controversial minerals deal

and work fast to end the war. First, though, Politico Europe's opinion editor Jamie Detmer

joins me from Kiev to give his insight on the fast-moving real

politic being played out between Ukraine, the US and European capitals. Jamie, welcome back to

PowerPlay. Thanks for having me on. I'm always good to be here. From what you're hearing in the

Ukrainian capital was Zelensky's kissing the ring of Donald Trump inevitable? And what's the

response being? Well, yes, I think it was inevitable and not just because of the real

politics going on between Kiev, Washington, London, Paris, but because a lot of pressure,

I think internally, politically, that really shook up the brawl in the White House and Zelensky being

...