Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to apologize and said he wants Donald Trump to be ‘more on our side’ during his first major interview since a disaster White House press conference with Trump and JD Vance.
The verbal spat played out inside the Oval Office Friday and quickly went off the rails when Trump took offense of how Zelensky treated his vice president JD Vance in front of the cameras.
Zelensky, speaking to Fox News, was asked point blank if he owed Trump an apology and twice filibustered before refusing and instead attempting to be gracious and added ‘I’m not sure we did something bad.’
‘We’re thankful to Americans for all your support, you did a lot, I’m thankful to President Trump and Congress’ bipartisan support,’ Zelensky said.
‘You helped us a lot from the very beginning, you helped us to survive. We are strategic partners.’
When asked again, he refused again and tried to explain his own position.
‘We have to be honest and we have to be direct with each other. Nobody wants to finish more than we because we are in this war, in this battle for freedom for our lives,’ he said.
The Ukrainian leader said he needs Trump to be ‘on the same side’ and needs him to stop Vladimir Putin.
‘I want President Trump to be more on our side,’ he said when Baier asked if he felt it was okay for Trump to be ‘in the middle’ of negotiations.
‘Trump said he will stop the war and I hope he will. We need to pressure him with Europe.’
Zelensky then attempted to quote former President Ronald Reagan in saying what he wanted in a deal.
‘Peace is not just the absence of war. We are speaking of a just, lasting peace,’ he said.
Zelensky also said that Trump was lying when the president said that he wants to go back into the White House and have a do-over right now.
‘No. First of all, we want peace, that’s why we are in the US. The deal on minerals is the first step to security guarantees, it’s the first step closer to peace. We have a tough situation, to understand it is to be in Ukraine,’ he said.
He added: ‘But I respect my soldiers and our people, our civilians who work and support our warriors. I can’t just say stop because everyone is afraid that Putin will come back tomorrow.’
Zelensky added that he respects Trump and the American people but reiterated that he felt he was being honest.
