Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said he wants to move past the “regrettable” meeting he had with President Trump at the White House last week in order to work together to negotiate “peace that lasts” in his country’s war against Russia.
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
The now-infamous Trump-Zelenskyy meeting started off smoothly enough, with President Trump saying it was an “honor” to have the Ukrainian leader at the White House; Zelenskyy’s visit was supposed to include a signed minerals deal between the two countries.
But the 50-minute conversation eventually went off the rails in front of the media, after Vice President JD Vance took issue with some of Zelenskyy’s comments.
“You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have,” President Trump said at that point.
Afterwards, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said Zelenskyy “disrespected” the U.S. and could only come back when he is “ready for PEACE.”
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he is on the same page as President Trump.
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” he began his X post. “None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians.”
Further along in his message, Zelenskyy again thanked the U.S. for helping Ukraine “maintain its sovereignty and independence” by providing weapons and funding. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the U.S. has given Ukraine $175 billion in total funding since Russia attacked the neighboring country in 2022. Ukraine is “grateful” for America’s support, he added.
Zelenskyy’s meeting with President Trump may have went sideways last week, but from a media standpoint, it was good for business. Bret Baier’s Friday night interview with Zelenskyy peaked with 6.4 million viewers, and a person familiar with MSNBC’s ratings said the cable channel had its best day in terms of viewership since the week of the 2024 election.
Looking ahead, Zelenskyy said he wants to sign the minerals deal with the U.S., as was planned, and work towards ending its war with Russia as soon as possible.
