 "U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 28, 2025. REUTERS")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday once again thanked the Donald Trump-led administration for its support during the war and said that the minerals deal is still on the table after a spat between him and Trump-Vance left spectators in disbelief.
“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,” Zelenskyy said after the US President and Vice President JD Vance berated him in White House on Friday.
Zelensky had seen the meeting in the Oval Office as an opportunity to convince the United States not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, Trump and Vance laid into Zelenskyy, saying he showed disrespect, driving relations with Kyiv’s most important wartime ally to a new low. The Ukrainian leader was told to leave after the fiery exchange.
“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” the Ukrainian leader added in a 14 thread-long post on X.
Impact Shorts
View AllThe White House showdown has left the Ukraine-Russia war peace negotiations in limbo. The falling-out also meant that Ukraine and the United States failed to sign a much-vaunted minerals deal that Kyiv hoped would spur Trump to back Ukraine’s war effort and potentially win support from Republicans in Congress for a new round of aid.
‘Grateful to the US’
After hearing an earful from JD Vance on not being grateful to President Trump and the US for its unwavering backing during the war in the form of military support and aid, Zelenskyy reiterated his sense of obligation and said, “We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and the American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion.”
He added that Washington will continue to remain Ukraine’s strategic partner “despite the tough dialogue” but said that it is important for both sides to be honest and understand their shared goals.
Hours after his public spat with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said their heated confrontation in the Oval Office was “not good for both sides”.
What happened?
The already-tense meeting blew up when Vance stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Zelenskyy countered that Putin could not be trusted and noted that Vance had never visited Ukraine.
“You’re not acting at all thankful”, Trump told Zelenskyy while talking about the support Ukraine has received from the US throughout the war. “You’re gambling with World War III,” the American leader remarked. The Ukrainian leader emphasised that he has been grateful for the support, but he was frequently interrupted by both Trump and Vance.
With inputs from agencies