Shortly after chaos erupted in the Oval Office during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader reiterated that a peace agreement with Russia is impossible without security guarantees.
He made this statement in an exclusive interview with Fox News just hours after the tumultuous incident, which he described as "bad for both sides."
"I am very grateful to the Americans for all your support. You have done so much. I thank President Trump and the bipartisan support of Congress. And I thank you on behalf of our entire nation. You have helped us immensely from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion. You have helped us survive," Zelensky said in Bret Baier's "Special Report."
Zelensky dismissed accusations that Kyiv is unwilling to reach a peace agreement.
"No one wants to end (the war) more than we do because we are in Ukraine, we are in this war. We are in this battle, a battle for complete freedom, for our lives."
"I just want to say that I believe we should be on the same side. And I hope that the president (of the U.S.) is on our side with us. And it is very important to stop Putin. I have heard many times from President Trump that he will end the war, and I hope he will do it," Zelensky added.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized again that any cessation of hostilities must be accompanied by guarantees to prevent a recurrence.
"You know, simply stopping fire without security guarantees is so sensitive for our people. I speak as the president of a nation that has been in this struggle for three years," Zelensky stated.
"They just want to hear that America (is on our side) and that America will be with us, not with the Russians. With us. That's all. But I am confident that this will be the case."
Zelensky also noted that the mineral deal, which was on the agenda last Friday but was postponed after negotiations fell through, will be the first step towards obtaining the security guarantees that Kyiv deems necessary.
"The mineral deal is the first step towards security guarantees. It is meant for peace, to bring us closer to peace. That is why I am here, and we have a complex situation. To understand this, one must be in Ukraine."
Donald Trump stated that he believes Vladimir Putin when the Russian president tells him he wants to end the hostilities.
According to Zelensky, the U.S. president must understand that Ukraine has reasons to doubt the sincerity of the Kremlin, as it has already violated the ceasefire agreement signed in 2019 alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
He stressed that Ukraine cannot change its stance towards Russia in an instant, and the guarantees are intended to ensure that a new peace agreement does not replicate the 2019 agreement.
The interview took place just hours after a loud exchange in the White House, where Trump shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of ingratitude towards the United States. The U.S. president later claimed that the Ukrainian leader was never serious about reaching peace or ending the war.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over three years ago. Much of the West, including the U.S., has rallied to support Ukraine, pledging to assist the Eastern European country in its fight against Moscow's aggression through financial and military aid.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January, aims to radically change U.S. foreign policy, including Washington's position on Ukraine. He threatened to cut off support for Kyiv even before taking office.
Tensions in the relationship escalated last week after Trump and Zelensky publicly exchanged barbs: Zelensky accused Trump of living in a Russia-created "disinformation space," while Trump labeled the Ukrainian president a "dictator."