Volodymyr Zelensky appears to be signaling that he wants to steer his relationship with Donald Trump back in the right d

The president of Ukraine is offering an olive branch to Donald Trump with a dramatic public message aimed at mending their relationship and ending Russia's war, writes a SkyNews analysis.

Volodymyr Zelensky has chosen social media - the US leader's favorite way to communicate - to make his point.

He stopped short of apologizing for a heated argument with Trump in the Oval Office last Friday – a move that some members of the US administration had called for, although it was the US president and his deputy, J.D. Vance, who lashed out at Zelensky.

Instead, he described the meeting as “regrettable”, saying that “it didn”t go the way it should have” and it is "time to make things right".

Most importantly, however, he laid out a vision for the first stage of how Russia's war with Ukraine could end.

Rejecting false claims by Trump allies such as Elon Musk that Mr. Zelensky wants an endless war, he said Ukraine was committed to peace and was ready to sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible.

Most importantly, he said: "We are ready to work quickly to end the war, and the first stages could be a prisoner release and a ceasefire in the skies – a ban on missiles, long-range drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – ​​and an immediate ceasefire at sea if Russia does the same.“

Zelensky says Ukraine is “ready to sit at the negotiating table“ – after the US cut off military aid

Appealing to the US president's ego, he praised Mr Trump's “strong leadership“ and reiterated his gratitude for past US support – again in response to criticism from the US commander-in-chief and his team that he has not shown enough gratitude.

He also said Kiev was ready to sign a key minerals deal with Washington - something else Mr Trump is seeking.

The announcement appeared to be an attempt by Zelensky to get his relationship with Trump back on track and outline his vision for ending the war – a conflict that Ukraine did not seek, but which was brought to its soil by the invading forces of Russia.

The key now will be how the US president responds.

Will Zelensky's expression of regret and his clear desire to end the war provide enough of a head start for Trump to diffuse the dispute and - in the name of Ukraine's ability to defend itself - restore the flow of military aid to the country?

Another major factor, of course, is how Vladimir Putin reacts and whether he could accept a limited ceasefire in a war that he started and - unlike Zelensky - seems to have no real desire to stop.