The Ukrainian president thanked the Trump administration and the American people for their support, in his first remarks since a tense White House meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued his first public remarks after a fiery Oval Office exchange with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday that raised questions about the fate of the potential U.S.–Ukraine minerals deal that would have brought the two countries together and served as a bulwark against Russian aggression.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. “Thank you @POTUS. Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
Zelenskyy’s post marked his first public comment since a heated White House meeting with Trump and Vance, where the three argued over Ukraine’s leverage and whether Zelenskyy had expressed sufficient gratitude to the United States for its long-running support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
It was the first meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump’s inauguration in January, with expectations that Zelenskyy would sign a U.S.–Ukraine economic partnership deal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other resources that are critical for aerospace, defense, and nuclear industries.
The agreement would create a joint U.S.–Ukraine reconstruction fund, co-managed by both nations, with Kyiv contributing 50 percent of future proceeds from state-owned natural resources. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the deal as both safeguarding U.S. taxpayer interests and fueling Ukraine’s postwar recovery, transforming the war-ravaged country into a stable, prosperous one.
Zelenskyy has stressed that any such deal would require U.S. security guarantees, which Kyiv considers essential. Trump has been reluctant to grant such guarantees, however, arguing that Europe should take the lead since it is more directly affected by the Russia–Ukraine conflict. He has argued that a U.S. presence in Ukraine’s mineral sector would deter Russian aggression, effectively providing “automatic security.”
“Security is so easy. That’s about 2 percent of the problem. I’m not worried about security. I’m worried about getting the deal done. The security is the easy part,” Trump said during a Friday meeting with Zelenskyy in front of media outlets in the Oval Office.
As the two leaders took questions from the media, their differing expectations on security commitments became clear.
“We will never accept just a cease-fire,” the Ukrainian leader said, insisting that the minerals deal should include additional security guarantees from the United States so that a lasting peace can be achieved. Zelenskyy said prior cease-fires that had been brokered by Western powers failed to deter Russia from further aggression.
Trump warned Zelenskyy that he was risking losing U.S. support entirely.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump said.
Raising his voice, Trump told Zelenskyy that Ukraine is “not in a very good position.”
“You don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards,” he said.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War three. What you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country.”
Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being ungrateful, asking him, “Have you said thank you once this entire meeting?”
The White House later confirmed that no deal had been signed, while Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelenskyy “is not ready for Peace if America is involved.”
“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump said.
After the meeting, the White House issued a statement saying that Trump and Vance “will always stand up for the interests of the American people and those who respect the United States’ position in the world—and will never allow the American people to be taken advantage of.”
Beyond expressing gratitude for U.S. support and indicating that Ukraine will pursue a “just and lasting peace,” Zelenskyy’s post-meeting statement gives little indication as to the fate of the minerals deal—or U.S.–Ukraine relations more generally.