If Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wants to restart negotiations on a rare earths deal with the U.S., he’ll have to issue a public apology for his behavior during a tense Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, Fox News reports, citing an unnamed American official.
Before last week’s heated confrontation, Kyiv and Washington had been ironing out an agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s natural resources. But after Zelensky’s fiery exchange with Trump, the deal has stalled.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy revealed on Monday that a senior White House official told him, “Nothing’s moving forward with this minerals deal until Zelensky steps in front of the cameras and explicitly apologizes for how he acted in the Oval Office.”
Meanwhile, Zelensky told the BBC on Sunday that he remains open to a “constructive dialogue” with Washington and is still willing to sign the agreement. However, speaking to Fox News, he made it clear he doesn’t believe he owes anyone an apology.
Following the clash, Secretary of State Marco Rubio advised Zelensky to say sorry for “wasting our time” and turning the meeting into a diplomatic disaster.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also weighed in, calling Zelensky the “problem” and warning that time is running out. “We can’t just keep this conflict going forever,” he told CNN, adding that if Zelensky’s personal or political motivations don’t align with ending the war, “then we’ve got a real issue.”
The Friday meeting quickly unraveled into a shouting match, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being ungrateful and insisting Kyiv doesn’t “have the cards” in the conflict. He made it clear that without U.S. aid, Ukraine wouldn’t have been able to hold out against Russia this long.
