Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday reacted to the heated exchange with US President Donald Trump during Ukraine-US talks at the Oval Office, calling the incident ‘not good for both sides.’
In an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy was asked if he thought he owed the US President an apology. The Ukrainian President said, “I’m not sure we did something bad,” but maintained his respect for Trump and the American people.
Zelenskyy also added: “I think this kind of spat is not good for both sides. I am very open but I can’t change our Ukrainian attitude to Russia. They are killers to us. It is very clear that Americans are the best of our friends. Europeans are the best of our friends. Putin with Russia are our enemies. And it doesn’t mean that we don’t want peace. We just want to recognise the reality.”
Despite the tense encounter, Zelenskyy maintained his respect for Trump and the American people, insisting, “I’m not sure we did something bad.”
Zelenskyy acknowledged the impact of the clash on diplomatic relations but stressed the importance of continued US support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia. “It would be difficult for us if the US withdrew its support,” he said, adding that the televised confrontation was regrettable, but he urged, “Please be correct. I want to be polite.”
When asked whether the confrontation was pre-planned, Zelenskyy called it “a really tough situation” and questioned the current state of US-Ukraine relations, asking, “Where is our friendship?” He remained firm on Ukraine’s pursuit of “justice and lasting peace,” pointing out that the “mineral deal is part of the structure of the security guarantee.”
However, secretary of state Rubio demanded an apology from the Ukrainian President for the meeting which took an ugly turn in the Oval Office. Rubio described the meeting as “fiasco.”
Amid growing speculation about Trump’s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy commented, “I want him to be in the middle. I want him to be on our side.” He expressed optimism about repairing relations with Trump despite the recent spat, saying, “Yes, of course.”
Zelenskyy in the interview also expressed regret for the public fallout. “We are thankful and sorry for this. I mean this, we wanted very much to have strong relations,” he said.
