Volodymyr Zelenskyy moves on after Oval Office blowout with Donald Trump

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the American people and leadership, and voiced his hope for a "strong relationship." This statement comes after a shocking argument with US President Trump in the Oval Office the previous day, leading many to feel uncertain about the relationship between these two former staunch allies.

Zelenskyy posted a series of messages on X on Saturday, stating that the Ukrainian people are "very grateful for all the support from the United States," and specifically thanked Trump, Congress, and "the American people." He emphasized that the relationship between Ukraine and the US President is not just between two leaders, but a long-standing and strong bond between the two peoples, and stated that "the American people helped save our people."

Zelenskyy added, "We only want a strong relationship with the United States, and I really hope we can achieve this goal." At the same time, Zelenskyy arrived in London to attend a summit organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with other European leaders. The summit will be held on Sunday, with attendees including the leaders of France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania, as well as the NATO Secretary General and the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council.

Previously, a heated argument erupted between Trump and Zelenskyy at the last minute of their highly anticipated meeting, which seems to have at least temporarily shattered Ukraine's hope that the United States can be a reliable partner in helping it resist and end Russia's three-year-long attacks. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the argument between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office as a "complete political and diplomatic failure" for Kyiv.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova issued a statement on Saturday, fiercely criticizing the "political weakness and extreme moral degradation" of European leaders who continue to support Ukraine and its president. Zakharova stated that Russia's war goals have not changed, implying that Moscow will insist on Ukraine's demilitarization, a ban on joining NATO, and the annexation of Ukrainian territory under its control.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticized Trump's behavior during his meeting with Zelenskyy in unusually sharp terms. "Diplomacy fails when a negotiating partner is humiliated in front of the whole world," Steinmeier told the German press agency dpa on a flight to Uruguay. He added: "I was shocked by what happened in the White House yesterday. I never thought that one day we would have to protect Ukraine from the United States."

French President Emmanuel Macron responded to Trump's remarks accusing Zelenskyy of "risking World War III." Macron said that if anyone is risking World War III, it is not Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, but more likely his Russian counterpart. "If anyone is risking World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin," Macron told Portuguese news channel RTP during a visit to Lisbon.

Macron stated that he still hopes that the United States will continue to be committed to defending democracy. "I hope the United States of America will continue to adhere to its history and principles," he said. "Whenever we have a major conflict, the United States of America has been on the right side of history and freedom."