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Trump ‘declining’ to engage in US-Ukraine mineral deal talks until Zelensky ‘goes in front of cameras and…’
Donald Trump, who has halted all US military assistance to Ukraine, is now declining to hold meetings with Zelensky until the latter issues a public apology.
President Donald Trump, who has halted all US military assistance to Ukraine, is now declining to hold meetings with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky until the latter issues a public apology.
According to Fox News' White House correspondent Peter Doocy, a top White House official informed him that nothing will be taken forward on the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal until the Ukrainian leader “goes in front of cameras and makes an explicit public apology for the way he behaved in the Oval Office.”
Trump and Zelensky were scheduled to discuss continued American aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia and work out an agreement for the war-torn nation to give the US natural resource revenues. However, Zelensky walked out of the White House beforehand as the televised Oval Office meeting descended into a heated argument.
During the discussion, Trump and Vice President JD Vance charged Zelensky of expressing no gratitude to US for its assistance. Later, Trump claimed that Zelensky had “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office” in a follow-up post on Truth Social.
According to Axios, one thing that annoyed Trump the most during the meeting was Zelensky's attire. White House officials reportedly suggested Zelensky's team that the Ukrainian leader should attend the meeting in a suit. Despite this, the Ukrainian leader chose to dress more casually in black.
What Zelensky said about mineral deal after fiery WH meeting
Zelensky, who arrived in Britain to meet PM Keir Starmer and King Charles, told UK media on Sunday that his country is prepared to negotiate a minerals agreement with the US.
“The agreement that's on the table will be signed if the parties are ready,” he told reported after a landmark summit in London.
Also Read: How officials are reacting to Trump pausing military aid to Ukraine after Zelensky clash
The agreement, which was meant to be a first major step toward ending the Ukrainian conflict, collapsed on Friday following the meeting in the Oval Office.
Trump's latest decision to freeze Ukraine aid increases pressure on friends in Europe, particularly France and Britain, whose presidents have visited the White House last week and have openly supported Zelensky since the White House heated exchange.
Europeans are rushing to increase their own military budgets and offer Kyiv other forms of assistance, including a proposal to station troops in the region to maintain any truce. But they insist they still require assistance from the United States.
