BRUSSELS – The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council conveyed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday that he is not alone, to stay strong and fearless, after the scandalous treatment he received in the Oval Office of the White House.
“Your dignity pays tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, brave, fearless. You are not alone, dear President Zelensky,” von der Leyen and Costa said in a joint message on social media.
“We will continue to work with you for a just and lasting peace,” they added.
The President of the European Council Antonio Costa spoke with Zelensky after he left the White House and expressed the support of the European Union to him.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House on Friday after a verbal confrontation with US President Donald Trump, who accused him of being ungrateful and disrespectful towards the USA.
Zelensky left the White House earlier than planned after an unprecedentedly heated debate in the Oval Office when Trump told him to make peace with Russia or else the United States would stop helping him.
“You are playing with the lives of millions of people, you are playing with World War III,” Trump angrily told him.
After the meeting, Trump announced via his social network that Zelensky “can return when he’s ready for peace.”
Trump and Zelensky ended their meeting in Washington after the dispute, and also canceled the initially planned press conference.
The White House confirmed that the signing of an agreement between Trump and Zelensky to exploit Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for continued US support was canceled.
Following the heated discussion in the Oval Office, the Ukrainian delegation retreated for consultations in one of the rooms in the White House, and according to reports from American media, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz came there, delivering Trump’s message to the Ukrainians to leave the White House. (February 28, 2025)
