Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a conciliatory message Friday afternoon after he was booted from the White House following a heated verbal argument with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people,” Zelensky wrote on X. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
It was not immediately clear whether the tweet had been scheduled to post before Zelensky’s confrontation with Trump and Vance.
The message went live exactly 40 minutes after Zelensky was hustled out of the White House on Trump’s orders following their argument.
Following the meeting with Trump, Zelensky canceled a planned event at the Hudson Institute think tank, but was still scheduled to sit down for an interview with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that would air at 6 p.m. ET.
The Ukrainan president also spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron — who had met with Trump on Monday — and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, per the Financial Times.
As Trump’s base supported the president’s conduct in Washington, European leaders similarly jumped to Zelensky’s defense.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X, “Ukraine, you’ll never walk alone,” while Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote, “Ukraine is a victim of the [sic] Russian aggression. It fights the war with the help from many friends and partners. We need to spare no effort for just and lasting peace. Diplomacy sometimes is the art of the impossible in difficult circumstances.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen weighed in, writing on X in Ukrainian: “Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You will never be alone, dear President [Zelensky]. We will continue to work with you for a just and sustainable peace.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
