Trump acknowledges dispute with Zelensky in White House as pressure tactic on Ukraine
Photo: X / President Donald J. Trump
The dispute between the head of the White House, Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war with President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the Oval Office on February 28 was part of a strategy to pressure Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump confirmed this during a conversation with reporters on March 17.
"We had to get Ukraine to do the right thing. It was not an easy situation. You got to see a little glimpse at the Oval Office, but I think they are doing the right thing now, and we are trying to get the peace agreement done. We want to get a ceasefire and then a peace agreement," the head of the White House emphasized.
According to the American president, many elements of the final peace agreement have already been agreed upon, "but there is still a lot left," he wrote on Truth Social. He also once again stated about the significant losses in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In addition, in response to questions about the suspension of arms and intelligence supplies to Ukraine, Trump stated that this decision had no consequences for the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region of Russia.
"No, not at all – really the opposite. I think it was appreciated, and we have to understand – and you have to understand – that if I see somebody doing something bad that's going to cause a lot of death, the only reason I'm involved, and this is Russia and Ukraine, but a lot of people, it's humanity. I'm involved for humanity. A lot of people are being killed over there," the US president stressed.
It should be noted that the day before, Trump said that he planned to contact Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, March 18, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
For reference:
On February 28, during a meeting at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued with his American counterpart Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance about the Russian-Ukrainian war.
After that, Trump said that Zelensky "is not ready for peace" but added that he "may come back" if he changes his mind.
At the same time, several world leaders and countries sided with Zelensky. Among them were French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and others.
The Ukrainian president explained that during the dialogue, there were "sensitive things" that hurt him. In particular, these were incorrect statements by American politicians regarding the number of Ukrainians killed in the war and the lost territories.
The head of state believed that the dispute that occurred was bad. When asked whether he regretted what happened in the White House, Zelensky replied: "Yes, it was not good." In his opinion, some things should have been discussed with partners without cameras.
He quoted Zelensky's message, which he had previously published on the X social network. In it, he stated that Ukraine was ready to "work quickly" "under the strong leadership" of US President Donald Trump to end the war.
