(NewsNation) — The day after a contentious back-and-forth in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly thanked President Donald Trump and the U.S. for its support during the three-year war.
“We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion,” Zelenskyy wrote on X Saturday morning.
In a series of 14 posts, Zelenskyy went on to say his country’s survival is in part thanks to America’s help.
“America’s help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that. Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners,” Zelenskyy wrote.
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Last week, Trump called the Ukrainian president a “dictator without elections.”
The two met Friday to discuss a deal that would give the U.S. revenue from rare earth minerals, but after a heated exchange, they canceled a joint press conference and a planned lunch.
The two world leaders were also to explore the possibility of a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine with Russia.
At one point, Trump raised his voice, saying, “You’re gambling with WWIII.” Following the shouting match, Zelenskyy was told to leave by the president and other senior officials.
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“It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do,” Zelenskyy said on X. “We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.”
Zelenskyy said the country is ready to sign the minerals deal and to achieve peace, but it can’t happen without assurance.
“Peace can only come when we know we have security guarantees, when our army is strong, and our partners are with us … but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.”
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He ended the social media thread by saying, “We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them.”
‘Insolent pig’: European leaders chime in
Other world leaders chimed in online on Friday.
“The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office,” Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev said of Trump.
The European Union’s top leader, Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, said, “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
Also showing solidarity with Ukraine following the exchange were leaders of Poland, Spain, Moldova, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Czechia, Germany and the Netherlands.
