Zelenskyy says Trump not owed an apology after White House dustup

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump had a tense conversation in the Oval Office, leading to the postponement of a mineral rights agreement. Zelenskyy said the Oval Office exchange was “bad for both sides.”
• Zelenskyy stated on Fox News that he has no plans to apologize to Trump, emphasizing the need for openness and honesty in their relationship.
• Zelenskyy had agreed to turn over some of Ukraine’s mineral rights and revenue to the U.S. in exchange for aid received, but the deal is now on hold.

---

Full Story

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has no plans to apologize to President Donald Trump after the two shared a tense moment in the Oval Office on Friday, Feb. 28.

What started out as a cordial conversation meant to precede the signing of an agreement for Ukrainian mineral rights took a turn for the worse. Zelynskyy was ushered out of the White House, with officials telling media outlets that the mineral deal was on hold.

Shortly after leaving the White House, Zelenskyy appeared on Fox News with Brett Baier. He told the host that, while he thinks the relationship between himself and President Trump can be mended, there’s no reason to apologize.

“No. I respect the president. I respect the American people. I think that we have to be very open and very honest. I’m not sure we did something bad,” Zelynskyy said, adding that the disagreement between the two presidents was “bad for both sides.” 

Why were Trump and Zelenskyy meeting?

Zelenskyy previously agreed to turn some of the country’s mineral rights, as well as revenue from mineral sales, over to the U.S. The Ukrainian president has long pressed Trump for security assurances, but Trump called the mineral deal “payback” for the billions of dollars the country had already received in aid. 

How did the White House respond?

The White House posted an article to X shortly after the exchange. 

“President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance will always stand up for the interests of the American people and those who respect the United States’ position in the world — and will never allow the American people to be taken advantage of,” the bullet-pointed entry started.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CNN that President Zelenskyy should apologize to Trump after the “fiasco” in the Oval Office. 

“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” he told host Kaitlan Collins.