Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to apologize and instead expressed his desire for Donald Trump to be more supportive of Ukraine.
This happened during first major interview after a controversial press conference with Trump and JD Vance at the White House.
Zelensky, had expected to conclude his meeting with Trump on a positive note, especially after signing a minerals deal that would strengthen US involvement in Ukraine’s future.
However, instead of a favorable outcome, Zelensky was publicly reprimanded in front of the global media.
Trump and his Vice President criticized him, insisting that he should be more appreciative of the years of US support provided to Ukraine.
During an interview with Fox News, Zelensky was directly asked if he owed Trump an apology.
Instead of answering immediately, he avoided the question twice by talking around it and eventually, he refused to apologize but tried to be diplomatic by saying, "I'm not sure we did something bad.”
“We're thankful to Americans for all your support, you did a lot, I'm thankful to President Trump and Congress' bipartisan support," Zelensky said.
He added, “You helped us a lot from the very beginning, you helped us to survive. We are strategic partners.'
When asked again, he refused again and tried to explain his own position.
“We have to be honest and we have to be direct with each other. Nobody wants to finish more than we because we are in this war, in this battle for freedom for our lives," Zelensky further added.
After the clash, Zelensky was asked to leave the White House earlier than planned and the minerals deal was ultimately not signed.
Shortly before Zelensky left, Trump posted on social media, telling him, "Come back when you're ready for peace."
