A defiant but tactful Volodymyr Zelenskiy refused to apologise to Donald Trump after Friday’s spat in the White House, and declared that the row in the Oval Office “did not bring anything positive” to peace for Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists only in Ukrainian at the end of a two-day visit to the UK, the Ukrainian president said that when such delicate negotiations are held in public “foes can take advantage of them”, though he said he hoped the row would eventually pass.
Mr Zelenskiy would not say whether he believed he had been ambushed when he was berated by the US president and the vice-president, JD Vance, and insisted he would talk to Mr Trump again if “invited to solve the real issues”.
[ How JD Vance emerged as the chief saboteur of the transatlantic allianceOpens in new window ]
However, when he was asked if would go back to the White House to “try again” to obtain clearcut US support in talks to end the three-year war with Russia, Mr Zelenskiy said sharply he hadn’t “come to try” on his most recent visit.
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He added: “I travelled in the train for 12 hours, then for 11 hours I flew because the president of the US invited me. The US is one of our main partners, and for me it is a show of respect to be in the White House when the president of the US invites me.”
Mr Zelenskiy was speaking just before flying out of the UK, which came immediately after the disastrous White House meeting on Friday, where he was accused of not being grateful for US military support and told Ukraine could not win the war.
The Ukrainian leader said that were no communications at his level with the White House since the meeting, but said that a deal for the US to jointly exploit minerals in his country was now ready to sign.
He also said he believed that an Anglo-French-led peace effort, discussed by European leaders in London on Sunday, would bear fruit “in the coming weeks” and indicated there were supportive declarations from other countries – such as Turkey, the Balts and the Nordics – to get involved.
But while he said he was aware of a proposal from France and the UK for a one-month truce in the fighting, he would not say if he supported it. Speaking at the end of the interview, he gave his only answer in English: “I am aware of everything.” – Guardian
