President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a statement following Friday’s tumultuous meeting with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy met in the Oval Office at the White House where they discussed a minerals deal and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The visit ended up being cut short – with a planned press conference cancelled – shortly after Trump told the Ukrainian president that he was ‘gambling with World War III’.
Zelenskyy is in the UK for a summit with European leaders, hosted by Starmer, where they will discuss the war in Ukraine.
It is believed that Zelenskyy has arrived in the UK a day earlier than planned, with a Downing Street spokesperson explaining: “The Prime Minister and President Zelensky will be meeting in Downing Street this afternoon.”
After landing at Stansted Airport on Saturday morning (1 March), Zelenskyy issued a statement. It read: “We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people.
“Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. America’s help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that.
“Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners.
“But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals. It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.”
