Zelensky mentioned in a Time Magazine Interview that he aimed to display his “values” at a tense White House meeting with President Trump and Vice President Pence.
Zelensky presented a picture of Trump during the meeting, showing “Russian attitude towards our prisoners.”
When Zelensky didn’t regret giving Trump the photo, he said “he has family, loved ones, and children. He has to feel what everyone feels.” Zelensky wanted to showcase his values, but the conversation took a different direction.
Shouting and pointing ensued, with all three parties claiming support for Ukraine.
After the meeting, Trump stated on his social media platform that Zelensky “is not ready for peace because he believes our involvement is giving him an advantage in negotiations when America is involved.”
Zelensky also mentioned in his Time interview that he wanted proof that the US still supported Ukraine at an Oval Office meeting.
“But at that moment, I felt I wasn’t an ally or wasn’t taking the position of an ally,” Zelensky stated. “In that conversation, I was defending the dignity of Ukraine.”
Trump’s special envoy group’s Steve Witkoff said Zelensky apologized to the president “for the entire incident in the Oval Office.”
“It was an important step, and I think there was a lot of discussion between our team, the Ukrainians, and the Europeans regarding this issue,” Witkoff noted.
