Ukraine Russia war latest: Zelensky hits back in first TV interview after fiery White House clash with Trump – UK Times

Boris Johnson has backed Volodymyr Zelensky after his heated meeting with Donald Trump on Friday, saying the Ukrainian president “frankly deserves respect” – but he stopped short of condemning the US president.

Reacting after the explosive meeting, the former prime minister said it is “time for cool heads and to remember that the US and Ukraine are on the same side”.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy has led his people heroically for three years against completely unprovoked aggression from Russia.

“The bravery of the Ukrainians has been amazing. Their suffering has been appalling”, he said.

“It is they who deserve our support and they who frankly deserve our respect. The best way forward now is for the minerals deal to be signed as soon as possible. There is still a path to peace.”

We have some more reaction to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s disastrous encounter with US leader Donald Trump last night.

Ukrainian opposition leader Kira Rudik tells The Independent that Mr Trump is overestimating his influence over Vladimir Putin and that Ukraine cannot accept it. They need serious security guarantees, she says.

She adds that Mr Zelensky’s rebuttals in the White House showed how Ukraine “stands up to bullies”

“I think that our president was under a lot of pressure,” she says. “I just hope that when he was getting the courage to stand up to Donald Trump and his statements, he knew that the Ukrainian people and his country were behind him.

“This is how we stand up to bullies. We need to make sure that our national interest is properly presented.”

She adds that she believes Mr Trump is misguided in thinking he has enough influence on Vladimir Putin to stop the Russian leader using a ceasefire deal to recover his forces and attack Ukraine again. “It will not, and we don’t accept it,” she says.

The leader of the Holos party, the country’s fifth-largest party and in league with the British Liberal Democrats, says: “We have been in this war since 2014. There were many different presidents in the White House while Ukrainian people were dying over and over.

“Most of all, we want this to stop. But we need to make sure that it will actually stop.”

We bring you some reaction below to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s disastrous meeting with US leader Donald Trump last night.

Sir Bill Browder, formerly the largest foreign investor in Russia before being kicked out of the country by Vladimir Putin, has claimed that Mr Trump deliberately “blew up” his meeting with Mr Zelensky to save face after realising that the Russian leader is not serious about a peace deal.

“It’s been obvious for weeks that Putin has no interest in a peace deal,” Sir Bill tells The Independent. “The easiest way for Trump to save face from his promise to end the war is to blow up his meeting with Zelensky and then blame him for the breakdown in negotiations.

“That’s exactly what happened yesterday. Now the onus is on the UK and the EU to support Ukraine because the US will back out for sure.”

Putin has suggested he is open to peace talks but has nonetheless continued with maximalist demands that undermine any chance of a plausible deal. They include no security guarantees for Ukraine and forcing Kyiv to sign away swathes of land Russia does not even occupy.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has implored the world not to forget about Ukraine after a heated exchange with US leader Donald Trump in the White House last night.

In a message on Telegram, Mr Zelensky posted a video of a meeting in Washington with Ukrainian citizens.

Beneath the video, he wrote: “It is very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it, neither during the war nor after.

“It is important for people in Ukraine to know that they are not alone, that their interests are represented in every country, in every corner of the world.

“Thank you for your support in this difficult time, for all your efforts for the sake of Ukraine and Ukrainians and for your help – not only diplomatic and financial, but also political and prayerful.”

Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has stated that the country has “strength in unity” following US president Donald Trump’s attack on president Volodymyr Zelensky last night.

“Armed Forces are with Ukraine, with the people, with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” he said, referring to Mr Zelensky.

“Our strength is in unity We continue to destroy the occupier, bringing Victory closer. Glory to Ukraine!”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has retweeted nearly three dozen messages of support from European and world leaders in the 12 hours since US president Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance publicly chastised him in front of cameras in the White House.

Mr Zelensky usually issues lengthy statements and updates on X but has responded to all 33 messages with the same line: “Thank you for your support.”

The full list of countries and leaders that Mr Zelensky has retweeted are as follows: Poland, Spain, Lithuania, Moldova, Latvia (twice), Czech Republic (PM and President), Norway, Germany (ingoing and outgoing chancellor), Sweden, Portugal, European Parliament president, European Union commission leader, EU council president, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ireland (twice), Estonia, Finland, Croatia, Denmark, Romania, Austria (twice), Canada, Belgium, Slovenia, New Zealand.

Some, such as the two EU leaders, wrote their messages of support in Ukrainian.

A spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer has also issued a statement highlighting the UK’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine, though the prime minister has not written anything on X.

Russian officials are using Mr Trump’s talking points at the Oval Office spat to berate the Ukrainian president.

“Donald Trump is right: Kyiv regime is ‘gambling with World War III,’” said Dmitry Medvedev, a top official in Putin’s government.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, called the Trump-Zelensky meeting “historic”.

During the heated exchange the US president appeared to draw false equivalence in the war, claiming he was standing “for both Ukraine and Russia”.

“I’m aligned with the US, and for the good of the world, I’m aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with,” Mr Trump said.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova chided Mr Zelensky, saying he was “biting the hand that feeds him”.