Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed optimism on Sunday about salvaging his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump following their tense Oval Office meeting. He emphasized the need for continued discussions behind closed doors while reaffirming that Ukraine would not concede any territory to Russia as part of a peace deal.
Zelenskiy also reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to sign a minerals deal with the U.S., which had been left unsigned after the abrupt end of his Washington visit. He described a discussion with European leaders on Sunday about sending a draft peace plan to the U.S. as a crucial step toward securing lasting security guarantees for Ukraine.
Tensions in the Oval Office Meeting
The highly publicized Oval Office meeting on Friday saw Trump accuse Zelenskiy of being ungrateful for U.S. aid, showing disrespect toward the U.S., and potentially risking World War Three. The confrontation raised concerns about Washington’s continued support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Speaking to reporters at a London airport after attending a summit with European leaders, Zelenskiy maintained a balanced approach—expressing gratitude to European allies while carefully addressing the fallout from his meeting with Trump. He remained optimistic that U.S. support would continue and maintains that Americans who are leaders of civilized countries wouldn’t want to back Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. has a better way of civilization and moral culture so supporting Russia in this context does not reflect prudence and cultural integrity.
“As regards salvaging the relationship, I think our relationship will continue, Zelenskiy stated via a translator. But he also made sure that these diplomatic discussions should not be conducted just completely out in the open. There’s a nice middle ground where things are understood publicly but there’s also no public stuff really happening that’s confidential things that require privacy because they’re negotiations or diplomatic talks of that kind. “The format of what happened, I don’t think it brought something positive or additional to us as partners.
European Leaders Propose a Peace Plan
Upon arriving in London on Saturday, Zelenskiy was warmly received by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and cheered by supporters near Downing Street. At the summit on Sunday, Starmer announced that European leaders had agreed to draft a Ukraine peace plan, which would be presented to the U.S. in hopes of securing the security guarantees that Kyiv deems essential to deter Russian aggression.
Zelenskiy reaffirmed that Ukraine relied on the U.S. as its top military backer and warned that any halt in weapons supply would only serve Putin’s interests.
An influential Russian parliamentarian, Konstantin Kosachev, dismissed Europe’s efforts, stating on Telegram that Ukraine should focus on Russian-American relations rather than European peace initiatives.
Ukraine Still Ready to Sign Minerals Deal
A key element of Ukraine’s strategy in Washington was a minerals deal that could have incentivized Trump’s administration to continue backing Ukraine’s war effort. While the deal remained unsigned, Zelenskiy confirmed that Ukraine remained open to finalizing it.
We definitely signed it and we were all set to sign it. And honestly, I believe the United States would be ready as well, Zelenskiy said.
The deal is of significant strategic importance, as Ukraine possesses valuable lithium deposits and rare earth minerals. Trump had previously pitched this deal as a sort of payback for all the financial aid that the US has sent to Ukraine.
Firm Stance on Territorial Integrity
While certainly being careful not to upset the USA too much, Zelensky stood firm and clear that Ukraine must retain its sovereignty. He categorically rejected any notion of ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for peace.
He clearly stated that everyone needs to understand that Ukraine will never recognize any territory that is occupied by Russia as Russian territories. He’s making it very clear that Ukraine won’t surrender any part of their country to Russia. This is very firmly and strongly maintained by him.
Zelenskiy further stressed the importance of securing reliable security guarantees to ensure that Russia does not launch another invasion. “We hope that these security guarantees will make it 100% impossible to give Russia the opportunity to come with another aggression, he said.
Ongoing Contact with Washington
Since the tense meeting with Trump, Zelenskiy confirmed that there had been ongoing contact between Kyiv and Washington, though not at his level. When asked if he had considered resigning amid the challenges facing his leadership, he firmly dismissed the notion.
“As regards resignation, if I’m to be changed. to change me it will not be easy. Because it is not enough to simply hold elections—you would need to prevent me from participating in the elections, and that will be a bit more difficult.
As diplomatic efforts grind on, of course all this attention will be on how the US decides to respond to this plan backed by Europe and also on whether the US continues to give crucial military and financial support to Ukraine.
“Stay updated with the latest news and insights – follow us at YPBB News on X for real-time updates and exclusive stories!”
