Washington, March 3, 2025 – Ukrainian leader said there had been contact between Kyiv and Washington since Friday’s Oval Office bust-up, although not at his level
Ukraine was ready to sign a minerals deal with the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told UK media on Sunday.
“The agreement that’s on the table will be signed if the parties are ready,” he told a late-night huddle with some UK media after a landmark summit in London.
But in their Oval Office meeting, Trump berated Zelensky, telling him to be more “thankful” for US support in the three-year war and that without US assistance Ukraine would have been conquered by Russia.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
The US leader had previously said the proposed minerals deal would be “very fair”.
The proposal was to give Washington financial benefits for helping Ukraine in a truce, even if Trump has repeatedly refused to commit any US military force as a backup to European troops who might act as peacekeepers.
After the heated exchange, Zelensky drove off in his motorcade shortly after having been asked to leave, without holding a planned joint press conference. The resources deal was left unsigned, the White House said.
Some Washington officials suggested Sunday that Zelensky might have to step down if a peace deal was to be reached.
“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told CNN.
“And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue.”
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC that neither Trump nor Vice-President J.D. Vance, who was also present at Friday’s meeting, were responsible for the blow-up in the White House, but Zelensky alone.
“I hope and pray, frankly, that President Zelensky will come to his senses, come back to President Trump, express gratitude as he should, you know, apologise for his behaviour,” he said.
“Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that, I mean it’s up to the Ukrainians to figure that out.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had not spoken with Zelensky nor Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha since Friday.
“We’ll be ready to re-engage when they’re ready to make peace,” Rubio said on Sunday’s This Week on ABC.
Zelensky said there had been contact between Kyiv and Washington since Friday’s bust-up, although not at his level, and asked if he had considered resigning, he showed no sign of wavering.
“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 it will be a bit more difficult.”
The US president himself has not commented directly on the row since Friday.
However, on Sunday he responded to criticism over his increasing closeness to Russia on Ukraine, saying the United States should worry “less” about Putin.
“We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!” Trump posted to his Truth Social platform Sunday night.
