Key Takeaways
- Zelenskyy expressed frustration with the US administration over negative comments made by President Trump.
- The Ukrainian President emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong partnership between Ukraine, the US, and Europe in the face of Russian aggression.
- Zelenskyy is willing to step down as president if Ukraine is given NATO membership.
Washington: In the aftermath of an explosive Oval Office press conference with President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his frustration with the administration began after it issued a series of controversial comments in the five weeks after Trump’s inauguration.
“Zelenskyy emphasized that his frustration with the US administration wasn’t about being angry, but rather about the negative comments made by President Trump. Five weeks after Trump’s inauguration, the Ukrainian President said he began to feel frustrated with the administration’s comments.” Zelenskyy told Fox News’ on “Special Report.”
“[When you hear] president, vice president or somebody or senators — doesn’t matter, big politicians — when they, for example, say that Ukraine is almost destroyed, that our soldiers run away, that they are not a heroes, that Ukraine lost millions of civilians, that his president is dictator.
“Zelenskyy expressed his disappointment with the US administration’s comments, asking ‘where is our friendship between Ukraine and the United States?'”
Zelenskyy said it was important that Ukraine, the US and Europe maintain their great partnership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
But when asked if he feels he should apologize for the heated discussions that erupted in the Oval Office, which began after Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful,” the Ukrainian leader said “no.”
“I respect the president, and I respect the American people,” he said. “I’m not sure that we did something bad.”
Zelenskyy noted again that security guarantees, which caused the blowup in the Oval Office Friday, are not an issue he can disregard because the threat of another Russian invasion is too great.
Zelenskyy also reiterated he would be willing to step down as president so long as Ukraine was given NATO membership.
“We want just and lasting peace. It’s true. We want security guarantees,” he said. “If [the] United States will support NATO … I think that is enough for Ukraine.”
Trump, after speaking with Putin earlier this month, began pushing the idea that Ukraine should hold elections, claiming Zelenskyy has little support among the Ukrainian public.
But under Ukraine’s constitution, it cannot hold elections when Martial Law is in effect during a time of war.
