Talks between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into shouting Friday, after which Zelenskyy left the White House without signing a widely anticipated natural resources deal with the U.S.
Zelenskyy had emphasized the importance of the meeting, saying that while Europe supported Ukraine and agreed to security guarantees, it was critical to get the U.S. on board.
In brief comments after the White House meeting, Zelenskyy thanked America for its support. He said Ukraine needs a "just and lasting peace."
Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2025
Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.
In Ukraine, reaction to the collapse of the deal has been both positive and negative.
One opposition politician criticized Zelenskyy for wasting the opportunity to coordinate with the U.S. and warned devolving relations could threaten access to important wartime advantages, including U.S. intelligence and communications tools like Starlink, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
On the other hand, Ukrainian Prime Minster Denys Shmyhal agreed with Zelenskyy, saying peace without guarantees is not possible.
Ukraine's parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that "no one should forget who is the victim in this war."
There is fear on Telegram, one of the most popular social platforms in Ukraine, that a degradation of U.S. relations could threaten Ukraine going forward. But other messages of support called for unity and solidarity.
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European leaders react
Following news of the White House meeting, there were swift and widespread messages of solidarity and support for Ukraine from leaders across Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe would continue to work with Ukraine "for a just and lasting peace."
"We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor," said commission Vice President Kaja Kallas. "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge."
Speaking with reporters in Portugal, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that Russia is the aggressor in the war with Ukraine and called for the continued respect of Ukraine's battle.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted to X "Ukraine, Spain stands with you."
"Ukraine is not to blame for this war brought about by Russia’s illegal invasion," Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said. "We stand with Ukraine."
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk told Zelenskyy and "Ukrainian friends, you are not alone."
Similar messages came in from leaders in Sweden, Norway, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania. Zelenskyy has personally responded to the messages to thank leaders for their support.
