(Dan Tri) - President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that the United States is still a partner of Ukraine after an argument with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens to questions during a press conference in the UK on March 2 (Photo: Reuters).
Speaking to reporters at the end of his two-day visit to the UK on March 2, when asked about his visit to the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of the difficulty of conducting any sensitive negotiations in public.
Mr Zelensky said talks like the one with President Donald Trump should not have been held in public, as “adversaries could exploit” any disagreements between allies.
Still, he hopes the White House controversy will eventually pass. President Zelensky said what happened in the Oval Office is “best left to history.”
Mr Zelensky has refused to say what happened after the cameras stopped rolling in the Oval Office on February 28, before he abruptly left the White House without having lunch or signing a mineral deal with President Trump.
The Ukrainian leader insisted he would speak to Mr Trump again if “invited to resolve real issues”.
However, when asked if he would return to the White House to "test again" whether he could get clear US support in negotiations to end the three-year war with Russia, President Zelensky replied bluntly that he did not "come to test" during his most recent visit to the US.
"I took a 12-hour train ride, then an 11-hour flight because the US president invited me. The US is one of our main partners, and for me, being at the White House when the US president invited me is a matter of respect," Mr. Zelensky said.
President Zelensky's visit to the UK comes shortly after a tense meeting at the White House on February 28, where he was criticised for being disrespectful and ungrateful for US support.
The Ukrainian leader said there had been no contact at his level with the White House since the meeting, but said an agreement for the US to jointly mine minerals in Ukraine was ready for signing.
Mr Zelensky said the relationship between the US and Ukraine “will continue”. He called the US a “strategic partner”, saying it would not be in anyone’s interest other than Russia if US support for Ukraine stopped.
"I think our relationship will continue. We are grateful to all the countries that have supported us. We are very grateful and the bipartisan support has always been on our side and I think that at the same level, the support will continue," Zelensky added.
Details of the heated argument between Trump and Zelensky
Mr Zelensky said he did not want to talk about the quarrel, but instead focused on moving on to “constructive” talks about the future.
"If we negotiate constructively, positive results will come," he said.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that he never intended to "offend" anyone and was always focused on negotiations with all parties in the US.
However, he said that "it is very important to me that Ukraine's position is heard", but his focus is on moving towards "constructive" cooperation with the US.
He also said he believed the Anglo-French-led peace effort, to be discussed by European leaders in London on March 2, would yield results "in the coming weeks".
The London conference also discussed "what security guarantees can be given to Ukraine", Zelensky said, adding that there had been "a very good start" in the discussions.
On the afternoon of February 28, President Zelensky went to the White House in hopes of signing a mineral agreement and discussing a solution to the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
However, the US-Ukraine negotiations broke down due to a heated exchange of words between Mr. Zelensky and President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The two sides have traded barbs over their approaches to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, with Mr Trump and Mr Vance criticising the Ukrainian leader for his lack of respect and gratitude for Washington’s support.
In response to the criticism, President Zelensky said he did not need to apologize. However, Mr. Zelensky still posted comments on social media to thank President Trump and the United States.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/tong-thong-ukraine-trai-long-ve-cuoc-dam-phan-song-gio-o-nha-trang-20250303063358132.htm
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