After a heated altercation with Trump and Vance in the White House, Zelensky responds in his first television interview. Volodymyr Zelensky maintains that the connection may be restored despite refusing to issue an apology for his altercation with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
After a meeting broke down when JD Vance accused Mr. Zelensky of having "disrespected" the United States, he left the White House. Mr. Trump added that Kyiv was "gambling with World War Three," restating the vice president's assertion.
Later on Friday, Mr. Zelensky told Fox News: "I don't think we did anything wrong. Perhaps there are some topics we need to talk about outside of the media.
The two were scheduled to sign a crucial minerals contract, but after the Ukrainian president repeatedly raised the question of US security assurances as part of a future peace deal with Russia, Mr. Trump and Mr.Vance retaliated.
Mr. Zelensky departed without signing the contract. On Friday night, a top White House official stated that Mr. Trump is not interested in bringing the minerals deal back to life.
Following Trump and Vance's attack during crucial White House negotiations, European leaders have united in favor of Mr. Zelensky. In addition to declaring his "unwavering support" for Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer claimed to have had phone conversations with both Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Trump.
After realizing that the Russian leader is not serious about a peace accord, Sir Bill Browder, who was once the biggest foreign investor in Russia until being expelled by Vladimir Putin, said that Mr. Trump purposefully "blew up" his meeting with Mr. Zelensky to preserve face.
Putin's lack of interest in a peace agreement has been clear for weeks, Sir Bill told The Independent. "Blowing up his meeting with Zelensky and then blaming him for the collapse in discussions is the simplest way for Trump to salvage face from his pledge to end the war.
That's precisely what took place yesterday. Since the US will undoubtedly withdraw, the UK and the EU now have a responsibility to stand behind Ukraine. Although Putin has indicated that he is amenable to peace negotiations, his maximalist demands have weakened the likelihood of a realistic agreement.
These include requiring Kyiv to sign over large areas of land that Russia does not even occupy and providing no security guarantees for Ukraine.
After the heated discussion, Mr. Zelensky implored everyone to remember Ukraine. He shared a video of a meeting with Ukrainians in Washington in a Telegram message. "It is very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it, neither during the war nor after," he commented beneath the video.
It is crucial for Ukrainians to understand that they are not alone and that every nation and region in the world is working to represent their interests. "We appreciate all of your efforts on behalf of Ukraine and Ukrainians during this trying time, as well as your financial, diplomatic, political, and spiritual support."