President Trump’s no-nonsense approach is bearing fruit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that his team will attend peace talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, set for next week. “Next Monday, I have a visit planned to Saudi Arabia… After that, my team will stay to work with our American partners,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, a stark pivot from last week’s White House showdown.
That Oval Office meeting imploded fast. On February 28, Zelenskyy clashed with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance over a minerals deal and peace terms, ending with Trump kicking him out and slamming his “disrespect” on Truth Social. “He can come back when he is ready for peace,” Trump wrote, signaling no more games.
Trump doubled down this week, freezing military aid and intelligence sharing after Zelenskyy’s tantrum. Russia piled on, launching 67 missiles and 194 drones overnight Thursday, hammering Ukraine’s energy grid and wounding 10, including a child. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko called it a bid to “plunge us into darkness and cold.”
Zelenskyy’s tune changed quick. “Ukraine is most interested in peace,” he posted, vowing to “work constructively for a swift and reliable peace” with Trump. A letter to the President, cited in his speech Tuesday, showed Zelenskyy bending: “We do really value how much America has done,” he wrote, ready to sign that stalled deal “at any time convenient.”
Republicans see Trump’s hand at work. His Tuesday address to Congress—82 percent approved, per CBS—pushed tariffs and border security while reading Zelenskyy’s groveling note, a flex conservatives loved. Focus groups by Lee Carter for Fox News Digital showed GOP and independent voters backing Trump’s pressure play.
Russia’s not sitting still. Hours before Zelenskyy’s post, their barrage hit, a message conservatives read as defiance to Trump’s push. “The task is to force Russia to stop the war,” Zelenskyy said, but Trump’s already threatened “large scale Banking Sanctions” and tariffs if Putin keeps pounding—a hammer Republicans trust.
The Saudi talks loom large. Zelenskyy’s skipping the table himself, meeting the Crown Prince Monday instead, but his team’s staying to negotiate. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s vowed diplomacy, yet Trump’s aid cut and sanction threats show he’s not bluffing—peace now, or else.
Conservatives cheer this as America First in action. Biden’s endless Ukraine checks are done; Trump’s forcing both sides to deal. Posts on X call Zelenskyy’s flip a “win” for Trump’s resolve—cut the aid, watch them fold. Russia’s next move’s the wildcard, but Republicans bet on Trump’s leverage.
The heartland’s got Trump’s back. Zelenskyy’s Oval Office stunt flopped; now he’s scrambling to Saudi Arabia under Trump’s terms. Conservatives say it’s simple: strong leaders make peace, not pleas. America’s running this show, and Russia better get in line or feel the squeeze.
