White House meeting ‘not good for both sides’, Zelenskyy admits

On Saturday, March 1, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an interview to the American TV channel Fox News after a confrontation with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy said that ceasefire agreements without security guarantees are a sensitive topic. He noted that Ukrainians “just want to hear that America is on our side and will stay with us, not with Russia.” At the same time, he said he would continue to make his point. 

“This kind of spat is not good for both sides. I am very open, but I cannot change the attitude of Ukrainians toward Russia. They are murderers,” the president emphasized. 

When asked whether he thought he had offended Trump and should apologize, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the American people, the US president and bipartisan support in Congress. 

The host pressed, and asked again whether he owes Trump an apology. Zelenskyy again did not answer, saying instead: “I think that we have to be very open and very honest. And I’m not sure that we did something bad.”

The President of Ukraine was asked whether Ukraine would be able to deter Russia without the constant support of the United States.

“It would be difficult for us. That is why I am here,” he replied. 

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine cannot lose its freedom and values.

“Russians came to our territory, to our homes... they killed so many people. To just forget about it, to just say that Putin is a great guy, no, it's without us,” he said, adding that he is open to diplomacy with Russia when there are security guarantees from the United States.

Asked whether he thought Trump was getting too close to Putin, Zelenskyy recalled Trump's words that he wanted to be in the middle with both sides at the negotiating table. However, for Kyiv, it is important that Trump is “more on our side,” as Russia brought the war to Ukraine and does not respect its territorial integrity. 

The President of Ukraine also noted that Kyiv is ready for an agreement on rare earth metals, which was supposed to be signed during his visit to Washington, but did not happen. According to him, “this will be the first step towards security guarantees,” but the timing of the signing depends on the United States. 

During the Fox interview, Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked the American people for supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. “From the very beginning, during three years of full-scale innovation, you helped us to survive,” he said.

Zelenskyy was also asked whether he would resign. The president replied that only the people of Ukraine can make this decision. 

Ukraine’s president concluded the interview with an appeal to the American people. “We are thankful, and sorry for this,” he said, adding that he was confident he could salvage his relationship with Trump.

• On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Washington for a working visit. During a press conference, a dispute arose between Trump, Zelenskyy, and US Vice President J.D. Vance. 
• Later, it was announced that the joint press conference of Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump was canceled after the dispute.
• After the quarrel in the White House, European leaders and US politicians began to express their support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.