Democrats aren’t going to be happy about this. According to Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a written apology to President Donald Trump.
“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office. I think that it was an important step, and there’s been a lot of discussion between our teams and the Ukrainians and the Europeans who are relevant to this discussion as well,” Witkoff told Fox News. “And I would like to describe it as progress. And so I would hope there’s a deal.”
In a tense Oval Office meeting last month, Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed with Zelensky, expressing frustration over his perceived ingratitude for U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky was visiting to discuss a potential deal for U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
Vance criticized Zelensky for Ukraine’s military struggles, while Trump condemned his leadership and warned of the risks of escalating the conflict. Zelensky’s responses only heightened tensions, with Trump accusing him of gambling with World War III. The meeting ended with Trump kicking Zelensky out of the White House.
After the meeting, Trump took to social media and condemned Zelensky for having “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office.” Trump was right to call him out, and now the ball is squarely in Zelensky’s court. Following the exchange, Zelensky embarked on a brief European tour, where he received support from various European leaders, including pledges of military and financial assistance.
However, within just a few days, Zelensky dramatically shifted his tone from defiant posturing to outright groveling before President Trump. After months of demanding U.S. aid without offering concessions, the Ukrainian leader was now scrambling to align himself with Trump’s goal of ending the war.
The Hill has more.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to pick back up on peace negotiations to end the war with Russia.
Witkoff said he thought Zelensky sending Trump a letter to apologize for the fiery meeting was “progress.”
In Trump’s joint address to Congress, he shared that he received a letter from Zelensky in an effort for the countries to smooth out ties. Trump said he appreciated the letter, which came just days after the U.S. halted military assistance to Ukraine.
Shortly after the fiery meeting between Zelensky and Trump, the Ukrainian leader called it a “regrettable” gathering but stopped short of issuing an apology.
Zelensky, however, signaled that Ukraine was still ready to come to the negotiating table after the meeting, where the U.S. and Ukraine had been slated to come to an agreement on a minerals deal.
Witkoff said that it’s important for the officials to discuss security protocols for Ukrainians, territorial issues, and a utility plan.
“These are not complicated things, they just… need to be put on the table, and everybody needs to be transparent about what their expectations are; then we can begin to have a discussion about how we compromise,” he said.
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