In a candid interview with Fox News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened up about the heated exchange he had with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
The two leaders had a tense verbal confrontation, and Zelensky shared his thoughts on the encounter.
Zelensky explained, “I’m not sure we did anything wrong. There are some things we need to discuss off-camera.
But they needed to hear Ukraine’s position.”
He emphasized that the discussions were important and necessary, despite the situation not being ideal.
He admitted that the incident wasn’t “great” but highlighted the sensitive nature of the issues at hand.
Zelensky Refuses to Apologize to Trump
While acknowledging that the White House confrontation was not a pleasant experience, Zelensky made it clear that he would not apologize to Trump.
“It wasn’t great, but there were very sensitive issues involved, and I want our partners to understand things correctly,” he said.
He also addressed broader criticisms of Ukraine, including claims about the country being in ruin, soldiers retreating, and his own leadership being called into question.
His response was sharp: “What kind of reaction do you expect?”
Trump Asks Zelensky to Leave the White House After Heated Exchange
According to Fox News reporter Jackie Heinrich, the verbal clash between the two leaders escalated to the point where Trump asked Zelensky to leave the White House.
Heinrich mentioned that Zelensky’s behavior, especially his eye-rolling and shrugging during the exchange, had frustrated Trump and his team, contributing to the breakdown in their meeting.
Zelensky Swears at US Vice President J.D. Vance
As tensions continued, it was revealed that Zelensky had an additional outburst directed at U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
This occurred after Vance raised concerns about Ukraine’s military recruitment struggles, stating that Kyiv was losing ground in battles.
Zelensky, visibly frustrated, asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine.
When Vance responded that he had only seen reports, Zelensky, with a roll of his eyes, swore quietly at the vice president in Russian.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio Calls for Zelensky’s Apology
In the aftermath of the altercation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in on the situation.
He called for Zelensky to apologize to Trump for his behavior during the White House confrontation, suggesting that the meeting had been a disaster.
Rubio also questioned the sincerity of Zelensky’s commitment to peace, hinting that his claims of seeking peace might not be entirely genuine.