Zelenskyy: White House spat was lesson not only for me in building relations with Trump

Zelenskyy spoke about this in an interview with Axios.

According to him, he did not need to flatter Trump for their relationship to improve after the White House quarrel. The Ukrainian leader said his message to Trump and his team was “honest and clear.”

“That’s why the White House was a lesson not only for me. I think for the other side too. We understood each other. And that’s better than being polite just because you’re afraid of the U.S. president,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that after the incident he chose openness. “I think strong people respect openness in others. That’s why the conflict with Donald Trump was resolved,” Zelenskyy explained.

Regarding U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who also exchanged sharp words with Zelenskyy on February 28, the Ukrainian president noted that Vance is “not my friend, but also not my enemy.” 

He could become a friend of Ukraine if, for example, he visits the country.

Background on the White House spat

During Zelenskyy’s working visit to the U.S., his planned meeting with Trump began with a press conference in the Oval Office. Heated exchanges quickly broke out between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President Vance. 

The spat escalated when Trump, in front of journalists, accused Zelenskyy of being “not ready for peace” and of showing disrespect toward the U.S. 

Afterward, Trump met with advisers and decided Zelenskyy was “not in the right state to negotiate.” The Ukrainian delegation was asked to leave the White House, and a planned press conference and joint lunch were canceled.