Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to apologize to President Donald Trump until the very end of his first TV news interview following an intense verbal spat in the Oval Office on Friday, although he did thank the U.S. for its continued support of Ukraine during its war with Russia.
Asked by Fox News host Bret Baier whether he feels he owes an apology to the Trump administration, Zelensky avoided directly answering the question at first. When pressed further, he gave a similar response.
“No, I respect the president, and I respect the American people, and I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I’m not sure that we did something bad,” Zelensky told Baier on Friday night. “I think some things we have to discuss out of media with all respect to democracy and free media.”
By the end of the interview, he finally apologizes: “We are thankful and sorry for this.”
Trump kicked Zelensky out of the White House because he felt disrespected by his guest’s rhetoric and demeanor, according to White House officials. Zelensky, whose joint press conference with Trump was abruptly canceled, left the White House earlier than expected.
The sit-down interview came hours after Zelensky argued with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom accused the wartime leader of being “disrespectful” and said he should be more “thankful” for U.S. support.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III!” Trump told Zelensky as the two sat next to each other in the Oval Office.
“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance chimed in. “You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”
Zelensky later thanked President Trump, Congress, and the U.S. on social media, reaffirming Ukraine’s commitment to working toward a “just and lasting peace” in spite of the heated disagreement.
He similarly told Baier that Ukraine is “ready for peace” with Russia but wants to remain strong at the negotiating table. Zelensky previously complained that the Trump administration deliberated with Russia first in peace talks before including Ukraine in those discussions. Key European leaders felt the same.
The contentious back-and-forth came a week after Trump called Zelensky a “dictator without elections” and suggested Ukraine was to blame for the start of its war with Russia in February 2022. Trump later conceded that Russia invaded Ukraine, and when a reporter asked him if he still likened Zelensky to a dictator, he responded, “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that.”
“You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Trump said to Zelensky during the explosive meeting. “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
During his visit to the White House, Zelensky did not sign an expected deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. In return, the U.S. would have provided a security guarantee to protect Kyiv from future Russian aggression.
The minerals deal lays out general details about the economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine. Trump, who remains committed to ending the war, has said the mineral resources can be applied for use in artificial intelligence, weapons, and the American military.
In the Fox News interview, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine needs security guarantees to end the three-year war with Russia. The minerals deal was the first step toward those security guarantees, he said.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a proponent of Ukraine, said earlier that Zelensky should apologize for his part in the argument with Trump and Vance. Graham also suggested the Ukrainian leader should resign. Zelensky rejected that notion, saying the decision should be left to the people of Ukraine.
Zelensky said he remains optimistic about salvaging his relationship with Trump.
The interview marked Zelensky’s first public appearance following his early exit from the White House. A Hudson Institute event, originally scheduled for 4 p.m. with Zelensky as a speaker, was canceled in addition to the 1 p.m. press conference.