Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky remains hopeful he can salvage his relationship with Donald Trump, after a meeting intended to cement a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal descended into members of the Republican administration berating the visiting leader in front of news cameras.
“Yes, of course,” Zelensky said Friday in an interview with Fox News, touting the ties between the people of America and Ukraine. “It’s more than just two presidents.”
“This is the most important—and of course [we’re] thankful to the president and to Congress—but first of all to your people,” Zelensky continued. “Your people helped to save our people.”
Zelensky will have his work cut out for him.
After the Oval Office blowup, which began when Zelensky reminded his hosts of the numerous times Russia has broken ceasefire deals that didn’t include security guarantees, Trump cast doubt on the future of the minerals deal.
A White House official told The Independent that the minerals deal was not signed on Friday, and Trump later accused Zelensky of being uninterested in seeking peace.
“I would say it didn’t work out exactly great from his standpoint. He very much overplayed his hand,” Trump said after the meeting. “We’re looking for peace. We’re not looking for somebody that’s going to sign up a strong power and then not make peace because they feel emboldened, and that’s what I saw happening.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
