'Not Sure We Did Something Bad': Zelenskyy Refuses to Apologize to Trump After Oval Office Spat

Washington: After the fiery meeting with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, Zelenskyy has refused to apologise.

Hours after the shocking clash, in an interview with a leading US media outlet, the Ukrainian president rejected the idea of an apology for what unfolded between him and his American counterpart.

The meeting, which aimed to discuss Ukraine’s war efforts and U.S. support, turned into a dramatic and heated war of words, which was broadcast globally.

Also Read: 'Trump, Vance Doing Putin's Dirty Work': Democrats Slam US President Over His Fiery Spat With Zelenskyy

Although Zelenskyy stood firm in not apologizing, he did acknowledge that the public spat was "not good for both sides."

He further expressed regret that the clash with the US president was televised but asserted, "Please be correct. I want to be polite." He emphasized that he respects the American people and the president but did not see anything wrong in their behavior.

Zelenskyy said, "No. I respect the president. And I respect the American people. I'm not sure we did something bad."

Also Read: I Am For Both Ukraine and Russia: Trump Tells Zelenskyy at White House

Was the Oval Office Meeting Pre-Planned?

When asked if the Oval Office public clash was pre-planned, Zelenskyy said, "I think, no. I think it was just a really tough situation because we’ve been very open, very direct.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied rumors of the altercation being pre-planned.

Zelenskyy concluded the interview with an appeal to the American people and expressed hope that he could salvage his relationship with Donald Trump. "We are thankful and sorry for this," he said, adding that he was confident he could repair his relationship with Trump.

Trump's Ukrainian counterpart shared he does not want to lose US as a key ally.