In the aftermath of a heated argument in the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said that he is still ready to sign a minerals-sharing deal with the US, adding that Trump’s support is “crucial”.
The row saw European leaders scramble to voice support for Ukraine after Zelensky was made to leave the White House early and without signing the deal, which is seen as vital to an eventual US-brokered truce.
Zelensky thanked dozens of allies on social media on Saturday, a day after the US president shouted at him in an angry White House meltdown and accused him of not being sufficiently grateful.
The Ukrainian president said he was still “ready” to sign the minerals deal with the United States, despite the televised clash with Trump. “We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees,” Zelensky said in a post on X.In another post on X, he said that Ukraine still needed Donald Trump’s support. “It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do,” Zelensky said.
Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky on X wrote the words “Thank you for your support” in individual replies to around 30 messages of support from European leaders after his heated clash with the new US administration in the White House.Despite the confrontation, Zelensky earlier thanked Trump, the US Congress and the American people for their support and for his visit.
“Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also sent multiple thank yous to European counterparts in a social media flurry on Saturday.Earlier today, Zelensky said his relations with the United States can still be repaired, after Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of refusing to make peace with Russia.
“Of course,” Zelensky said when asked in a Fox News interview if the relationship with Trump could be salvaged.
US-Ukrainian ties are about “more than two presidents”, he said, adding that Ukraine badly needs Washington’s help in the fight against Russia’s far bigger and better-armed military.
“It will be difficult without your support,” Zelensky said on Fox — Trump’s favorite news channel.
