01.03.2025 07:50
In the ongoing debate that is taking place in front of the world, consecutive statements are being made. After his discussion with Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office, U.S. President Trump said, "He wants to come back, but I can't allow it. Suddenly, he became a big man." Responding to Trump, who implied that he wanted the war to continue, Zelensky stated, "I did nothing wrong."
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who came to the White House for an agreement regarding precious metals and rare elements, had a discussion. The press conference was canceled as Zelensky left the White House. After this discussion, which took place in front of the eyes of the world, no agreement was signed between the two countries.
THE MEETING DID NOT GO WELL
As President Donald Trump left the White House, he made a statement to the press.
Trump stated that the meeting did not go well, saying, "He played too much with his hands. We are looking for peace, we are not looking for someone who will not make peace. I am looking for peace. We do not want to enter a ten-year war and play games."
Trump expressed doubts about Zelensky's willingness to make a peace agreement, saying, "I want urgent peace. President Putin will want to do this too. This guy wants us to continue fighting."
Claiming that Zelensky did not seem like a man who wanted to make peace, Trump said:
"Zelensky wants to go back immediately, but I cannot allow that. They must make a ceasefire immediately. A ceasefire can happen right away. If you want to end the war, you sign an agreement that covers a certain period. That takes time. I want it to end immediately. Suddenly he became a big man. Because the US is on his side. Either we will end it, or we will let him fight. If he fights, it will not be pleasant at all because he cannot win without us."
NEW STATEMENT FROM ZELENSKY
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Fox News after the discussion, stated that he "respects Trump and the Americans" and that he "does not think he did anything wrong."
In response to a question about whether he would apologize to Trump, Zelensky said he did not do anything wrong that would require an apology.
While in the US, Zelensky stated regarding the discussion with President Trump, "I respect Trump and the Americans" and "I do not think I did anything wrong," adding, "I am grateful to President Trump and the bipartisan support of Congress. Trump wants to end this war, but with all due respect, no one wants to end the war more than we do." He emphasized that they are seeking a fair agreement and security guarantees.
In response to the question, "Are you regretting what happened today?" Zelensky answered, "Yes, I think it was not good because we had very different dialogues." When asked whether he thought his relationship with Trump could be salvaged, he replied, "Yes, of course, because these relationships are more than just two presidents; they are strong relationships between our peoples."
Zelensky expressed, "Everyone is afraid that Putin will return tomorrow. We want a fair and lasting peace. We want security guarantees." In response to the question of whether he would resign, he said, "That is a decision for the Ukrainian people to make."
"I WANT HIM TO BE MORE ON OUR SIDE"
Regarding criticisms that Trump is close to Putin, Zelensky stated that Trump wants to be a mediator but that they want to see him on their side, saying, "I think we talked about this very clearly today. President Trump said he wants to be in the middle on this; otherwise, he cannot bring them to the table. Honestly, I want him to be more on our side."
When asked whether he would return to the White House if given the opportunity, Zelensky answered negatively, saying, "First of all, we want peace. That is why I am in the US, and I visited President Trump."
Volodymyr Zelensky stated that not all countries share the same opinion regarding Ukraine's NATO membership, saying, "Okay. If there is no NATO, no one is forcing. Then let’s establish a NATO in Ukraine. That is my position."
HELP FUNDS AND RECTIFYING UKRAINE'S LOSSES
Zelensky stated that they received $100 billion from the US over three years, not $183 billion as claimed, with $67 billion of that being military aid and $31.5 billion being cash. The Ukrainian leader said they are very open to accountability on this matter.
Zelensky emphasized that the reaction to claims that "Ukraine is almost nonexistent, its soldiers have fled, they are not heroes, millions of civilians have been lost, and its president is a dictator" should be framed not personally but within the context of the US being a friend of Ukraine.
He also noted that he wanted the statement regarding "millions of losses" to be corrected during the discussions at the Munich conference, reiterating that they are not against a mining agreement with the US.
Zelensky stated, "However, we wanted to understand which parts of the security guarantees would cover this agreement and what the next steps would be."
HOW DID THE DISPUTE START?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the US for an agreement regarding his country's precious metals and rare mineral resources.
President Donald Trump and Zelensky met in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump stated that a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine would be a very big deal, saying, "Ukraine will have to make concessions regarding a ceasefire with Russia. I want the conflict to be resolved. For that, NATO and Europe also need to take steps."
Trump, who said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin a few days ago, stated, "Putin wants to make a deal."
Zelensky, who said his country needs air defense systems, showed Trump some photos related to the war, saying, "There are rules even in war. These guys have no rules. Putin started the war; he must pay the price."
Zelensky stated that the mining agreement is insufficient and that security guarantees are needed, opposing Trump's statement that Ukrainian cities have turned into rubble in the war.
However, US Vice President James David Vance reacted to Zelensky, saying, "Do you think it is respectful to attack the administration trying to prevent your country from being destroyed by coming to the Oval Office of the United States?"
Trump, stating, "Either you sign this agreement, or we are out. You are gambling with a third world war," asked Zelensky to be more grateful.
Trump stated that without US support, Ukraine's power against Russia would weaken, saying, "You are disrespecting our country. I know you cannot win. You have no cards without us. You have no cards." Zelensky replied, "We are not playing with cards."
"YOU CANNOT DICTATE WHAT WE WILL FEEL"
After Zelensky stated that the US is far away and does not feel the problems, Trump became angry, targeting former President Joe Biden as well, saying, "You were not alone.
Our foolish president gave you 350 billion dollars and provided weapons. Without the USA, Putin would have won in two weeks. You have no right to dictate how we should feel. We will feel very good and very strong. Today we will sign the rare earth elements agreement. This agreement we will make with Ukraine will be a very fair agreement and a significant commitment from the USA," he stated.
Trump, pointing to Zelensky, said, "You can see how much he hates Putin. It's very difficult to make a deal with someone like that."
After the discussion, Zelensky left the White House earlier than planned.
Trump stated, "I determined that President Zelensky is not ready for peace. He disrespected the valuable Oval Office of the USA. He can come back when he is ready for peace."
According to a report by Reuters, the press conference between the two leaders was also canceled. It was announced that the agreement between the USA and Ukraine would be signed at a joint press conference.
White House officials also stated that the rare earth elements agreement expected to be signed today would not be signed.