Zelenski Refused to Apologize to President Trump in an Interview on Fox News

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenski, hypocritically denied having done anything wrong in his first public comments after a strong confrontation with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, which interrupted negotiations to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.

In an interview with Bret Baier, a Fox News journalist, Zelenski was asked if he owed Trump an apology, to which he replied that he wasn't sure he had done anything wrong, although he also noted that, of course, the relationship between them could be repaired, according to his judgment.

Throughout the interview, Zelenski emphasized his respect for the President of the United States and for the American people, but avoided admitting any responsibility for the previous disagreement.

However, during the interview, Zelenski seemed to further complicate the situation by expressing that he didn't know if the confrontation had been a "premeditated ambush" by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as some Democrats and pro-Ukrainian commentators had suggested absurdly.

An American official had previously indicated that the disagreement was completely unexpected, as the meeting was supposed to culminate with the signing of an agreement that would grant the United States a stake in Ukrainian rare elements.

Zelenski reiterated in the interview that the United States must provide new "security guarantees" to Ukraine, although Trump has made it clear on several occasions that he already considers the security issue covered by the United States' proposal to participate in rare earth mining.

Zelenski explained that once the United States proposes the security guarantees, diplomacy can move forward, but emphasized that the mining agreement is not enough by itself, in an absolutely ungrateful attitude toward the American people.

He also highlighted the importance of "lasting peace" and avoiding a ceasefire without security guarantees, due to the fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin could return to attack at any moment.

The minerals agreement, which Trump had described as a prelude to ending the fighting in the three-year conflict, was not signed after the heated confrontation, when the American president rightly expelled Zelenski from the Oval Office after the verbal exchange.

Trump has flatly rejected Zelenski's request for Ukraine to join NATO, although he has shown more willingness toward the plans of France and the United Kingdom to deploy peacekeeping troops, as discussed during the visits of Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer to the White House.

Zelenski also tried to soften his stance regarding the United States' demands that he be more willing to accept peace talks and a possible ceasefire.

He stated that the incident in the Oval Office was not a positive thing and reiterated that his presence in the United States was in search of peace. However, he emphasized that he couldn't ask his soldiers and civilians to stop, as the Ukrainian people continue to fight for their security.

He also mentioned that, although some countries do not support Ukraine's accession to NATO, Ukraine is willing to "build a NATO in Ukraine" if that is what is needed.

After the meeting, Trump posted on his social media that Zelenski had "disrespected the United States of America in its beloved Oval Office" and that he could return when he was ready for peace.

The conflict between the two leaders erupted when the Ukrainian expressed what Trump and Vance considered a lack of gratitude for the massive U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

In recent hours, the tense situation in which Ukraine and the United States find themselves led President Trump to declare that he is no longer interested in signing a mineral extraction agreement with Ukraine.