11 hours ago
Last Updated:March 03, 2025, 07:59 IST
Zelenskyy's ugly exchange with Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House prompted European allies of Kyiv to shore up support to repel Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy seeks to mend ties with the US following an ugly spat with Trump. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday rejected calls for Ukraine to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the war against Russia, asserting that it would be a “failure for everyone" if the hostilities ended without detailed security guarantees.
The defiant Ukrainian leader, who recently had an ugly showdown with US President Donald Trump at the White House, said he does not feel the need to make amends for the row even as he restated his gratitude to the American people.
“I think our relations with the US will continue. Because this is more than relations during a certain moment. We must be open," Zelenskyy told reporters after a high-profile meeting of more than a dozen European leaders following the ugly White House spat that shocked US allies.
Zelenskyy said he was convinced that it would be a mistake to agree to stop fighting without a mechanism backed up by military force, after Russia violated a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. “If you don’t have an end to the war and you don’t have security guarantees, no one is able to control a ceasefire," he was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.
“If I am Invited To America…’
Zelenskyy further said he would be willing to return to America if he were invited for “constructive dialogue", despite his flailing relations with the Trump administration. “I represent the interests of a country that heavily depends on support from partners, so of course if I am invited for a constructive dialogue, for solving real problems, for serious questions and real resolute actions and answers, I will be there, out of respect for America, American people, the President and the two parties," he said.
He also said he was ready to sign the minerals deal with the US and said he did not believe Washington would stop aid for Ukraine. “I think stopping such assistance will only help Putin. And because of that, I think that the United States and representatives of the civilised world, leaders of this world definitely won’t help Putin," he said.
“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 further of his exchange with Trump.
On Friday, Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful" to the US, canceling the signature of an economic agreement between Washington and Kyiv. Trump said Zelenskyy was not ready for a ceasefire, while the Ukrainian President refused to apologise for the showdown.
Zelenskyy said he had no direct contact with Trump since Friday’s acrimonious meeting, but there had been communication between officials and he was “prepared to continue the dialogue", but he also said he did not want any “surprises" in talks with Washington.
(with Reuters inputs)
Location :London, United Kingdom (UK)
First Published:March 03, 2025, 07:27 IST
News world Zelenskyy Rejects Calls For Immediate Ceasefire With Russia: 'Failure For Everyone'
