A shouting match in the Oval Office, broadcast worldwide, with US President Donald Trump appears to have not deterred Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky, whose joint news conference and signing ceremony for a deal on rare minerals was cancelled with US officials telling Ukrainians to leave, today underscored that it is “crucial for us to have President Trump’s support”.
“We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow,” Mr Zelensky posted on X.
Moments after his heated exchange with the Ukrainian leader, Mr Trump had said in a social media post that Mr Zelensky can come back “when he is ready for peace”. Mr Trump also accused the Ukrainian leader of having “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office”.
“I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Mr Trump posted on Truth Social.
Mr Zelensky thanked dozens of allies on social media on Saturday, a day after Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused him of not being sufficiently grateful.
He on X wrote the words “Thank you for your support” in individual replies to around 30 messages of support from European leaders after his much publicised clash with the new US administration in the White House.
Despite the confrontation, Zelensky earlier thanked Mr Trump, the US Congress and the American people for their support and for his visit. Today again, he reiterated that in a separate post.
“We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. America’s help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that. Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X.
“It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival,” he said.
Mr Zelensky, quoting President Ronald Reagan’s “Peace is not just the absence of war”, stressed that Ukraine is talking about just and lasting peace. He further said that a ceasefire won’t work with Putin, as he has “broken ceasefires 25 times over the last ten years”.
As a first step towards peace, Mr Zelensky, despite the bitter Oval Office memory, said he is ready to sign the minerals deal and that Ukrainian people “need to know that America is on our side”.
“We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side,” said Mr Zelensky.
Mr Zelensky maintained that “Russia is the enemy” and that Ukraine needs to be strong at the negotiation table.
“I cannot change Ukraine’s position on Russia. The Russians are killing us. Russia is the enemy, and that’s the reality we face. Ukraine wants peace, but it must be a just and lasting peace. For that, we need to be strong at the negotiation table. Peace can only come when we know we have security guarantees, when our army is strong, and our partners are with us,” he said.