KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized his commitment to defending Ukraine’s honor during a contentious meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a disastrous Oval Office meeting last month.
“Why did the Ukrainians defend themselves at the start of this war? It was because of dignity,” Zelenskyy remarked in a recent interview with Time magazine, published Monday, which noted his rising approval ratings following the meeting.
“We do not consider ourselves a superpower,” he stated, adding that Ukrainians are deeply emotional and unite when it comes to their dignity, freedom, and democracy.
Concerns regarding American support for Ukraine have escalated since the Jan. 20 inauguration, as Trump has openly expressed disdain for Kyiv’s leadership. Zelenskyy noted, “In that moment there was the sense of not being allies, or not taking the position of an ally. In that conversation, I was defending the dignity of Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House is now viewed as a significant diplomatic failure, with the high-stakes summit resulting in Trump and Vance criticizing Zelenskyy for not expressing enough gratitude for U.S. support, lacking strong negotiating cards, and even suggesting he was “gambling with World War III.”
During the meeting, Zelenskyy asserted that he had not come to play cards, contending that Putin’s diplomacy alone would not resolve the war. “I signed the deal with him in 2019 … But after that, he broke this ceasefire. He killed our people and he didn’t exchange prisoners. We signed the exchange of prisoners, but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy, JD [Vance], are you speaking about?” he challenged.
Trump later admitted that the confrontation was a tactic to pressure Ukraine into agreeing to a ceasefire. “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,” Trump stated.
Following the disastrous meeting, the U.S. suspended aid and intelligence to Ukraine until Kyiv consented to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Russia during negotiations in Saudi Arabia on March 11.
Zelenskyy has since labeled the fateful White House meeting “regrettable” and has refrained from publicly criticizing Trump. During the Time interview, he requested the reporter to “leave that to history,” expressing a desire to move forward.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its relentless assault on Ukraine, launching missiles and drones daily, even as President Vladimir Putin pays empty lip service to Trump regarding a potential ceasefire.
