Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has begun efforts to manage the situation following a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that ended in a stormy debate and breakdown. On the afternoon of the 1st (local time), the day after the summit, Zelensky posted a lengthy statement on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) expressing gratitude for the bipartisan support from President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the American people, acknowledging that Ukraine’s survival was possible due to U.S. assistance.
Emphasizing the strategic partnership with the U.S., Zelensky explained the previous day’s intense verbal clash by stating that even when conversations are difficult, honesty and directness are crucial for mutual understanding of shared goals.
He argued that Trump’s ongoing peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which exclude Ukraine, would be ineffective, highlighting that Putin has broken ceasefire promises 25 times in the past decade. Zelensky stressed their preparation to sign a mineral agreement, a first step towards securing guarantees, but emphasized that such security would be challenging without U.S. support. If NATO membership is unattainable, clear security assurances from U.S. allies are crucial.
This statement marked a stark contrast in message and tone from a post made earlier in the day on X, where Zelensky indirectly criticized the unilateral peace negotiations pursued by Trump and Putin, urging not to forget Ukraine’s trials.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte communicated with Zelensky, stating the importance of collaboration between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe for permanent peace. Polish President Andrzej Duda also mentioned that only the U.S. can block Russia’s aggression, suggesting Zelensky return to negotiations with the U.S.
Zelensky arrived in London in the afternoon, where he met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and is set to attend an emergency European summit on the 2nd.