Photo: Reuters
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky expressed gratitude to the United States for the assistance provided to his country in an interview with Fox News after his argument with US President Donald Trump. However, he responded negatively to the question of whether he should apologize.
The Ukrainian leader reiterated his previous thesis about security guarantees, stating that he would not agree to ceasefire without them.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called on Zelensky to apologize for "making a fool of himself."
After the meeting in the Oval Office turned into a quarrel and argument, the Ukrainian side reportedly moved to another room, according to CBS News. Following that, Trump's national security advisor Mike Walls and Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them to leave the White House. According to sources from the channel, Zelensky attempted to ease the situation by requesting to resume the meeting, but Trump and other US officials were "offended" by the Ukrainian president's behavior. The deal on natural resources was not signed.
According to The Economist, when Zelensky arrived at the White House, US-Ukrainian relations were already "fragile and uncertain," but by the time he left, they had "shattered." The Financial Times reported that the meeting at the White House started as poorly as possible. Zelensky was left between the US and Russian leaders, who seemed to be more focused on reaching a mutual agreement than engaging with the Ukrainian president. "It has now become clear that the US has turned its back on Ukraine," the publication wrote.
