Ukraine ready to salvage U.S. relationship and sign deal after White House blowup
The Ukrainian leader said he is still willing to sign a rare-earth minerals deal, even after his contentious meeting with Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that he believes he will be able to salvage his relationship with the United States following his contentious meetingcontentious meeting in the Oval Office on Friday with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Zelenskyy said he was still willing to sign a deal granting the United States access to Ukraine's rare-earth minerals, which was supposed to be the original purpose of his trip to Washington last week.
"If we agreed that it [the deal] will be signed, from our side we are ready to sign. I honestly think the United States will be ready, as well. Maybe they need time to analyze some things," Zelenskyy told reporters in London on Sunday, via a translator, after a meeting with European leaders.
"As regards salvaging the relationship, I think our relationship will continue," he added.
Reiterating a desire to continue a dialogue with Washington, Zelenskyy said future discussions should happen behind closed doors.
"I do not think it's right when such discussions are totally open. ... The format of what happened, I don't think it brought something positive or additional to us as partners," he said.
After the exchange with Trump and Vance — during which they said Zelenskyy had not expressed enough gratitude for U.S. support of his country — Zelenskyy got a warm reception from British leaders in London and joined a summit with European leaders this weekend.
The Oval Office blow-up came amid escalating tensions between the United States and Ukraine in recent weeks, with Trump calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” and falsely accusing Ukraine of having initiated the war with Russia.
Some Trump allies in Washington have written off Zelenskyy as “not ready” to make peace. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Sunday on NBC News' “Meet the Press” that Zelenskyy “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country.”
