KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday expressed gratitude to Ukraine’s allies and signalled hope for repairing ties with Washington a day after a tense exchange with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Zelensky took to social media on Saturday, posting “Thank you for your support” in replies to around 30 messages from European leaders, a day after his heated meeting with Trump ended in bitterness.
The Ukrainian leader later told Fox News that relations with the US could still be repaired despite the confrontation.
“Of course,” he said when asked whether ties with Trump’s administration could be repaired. “US-Ukrainian relations are about more than two presidents.”
Clash in Oval Office
The meeting between the two leaders, which took place on Friday, ended in a shouting match after Trump accused Zelensky of not showing enough gratitude for US military aid and of refusing to negotiate peace with Russia.
According to CNN, Trump told Zelensky that Ukraine must agree to a truce or risk losing Washington’s support.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump reportedly said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
US media outlets, including The New York Times, reported that Zelensky was asked to leave the White House early and that a planned minerals-sharing agreement, seen as crucial to a potential US-brokered peace deal, was left unsigned.
Trump later posted on Truth Social that “he can come back when he is ready for peace.”
Vice President JD Vance also criticised Zelensky during the meeting, accusing him of being “disrespectful” and unappreciative of US assistance, The Washington Post reported.
The public confrontation prompted a swift backlash from European allies, with key leaders reaffirming their support for Ukraine.
European leaders rally behind Zelensky
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reassured Zelensky, posting on X: “You are not alone.”
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had recently visited the White House, spoke with both Trump and Zelensky after the clash and pledged “unwavering support” for Kyiv. He is set to host a summit of European leaders on Sunday to discuss the ongoing conflict.
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French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly also issued statements reaffirming their countries’ commitment to Ukraine.
Friedrich Merz, who is expected to become Germany’s next chancellor, wrote on X that Europe “must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised Trump’s handling of the meeting. “Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orbán wrote on social media.
Russia reacts
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram that Trump had shown “restraint” by not physically assaulting Zelensky, while Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, called Zelensky an “insolent pig” who had received “a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, described the confrontation as “historic,” suggesting it signalled a shift in US policy towards Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Washington but stressed that any talks must be based on mutual respect.
Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky pushed back against Trump’s demand for negotiations with Moscow, saying there could be “no compromises with a killer on our territory.” He noted that previous Western-backed peace efforts had failed to deter Russian aggression.
Trump has frequently expressed scepticism about continued US support for Ukraine. He has also claimed to have held multiple conversations with Putin, beyond what has been publicly disclosed, and has called Zelensky a “dictator” in recent weeks.
