In a dramatic turn of events, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to apologize for a contentious meeting with President Donald Trump that took place on February 28. The Oval Office talks, intended to smooth relations and finalize a deal involving Ukraine’s critical raw material deposits, quickly devolved into a heated argument.
Rubio, speaking on CNN, criticized Zelensky for “wasting our time” and questioned whether the Ukrainian leader genuinely seeks peace. “You start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn’t want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn’t, and that active, open, undermining of efforts to bring about peace is deeply frustrating for everyone who’s been involved,” Rubio stated.
The meeting, which was supposed to culminate in a signing ceremony and press conference, instead saw Trump and Zelensky clashing over the US President’s refusal to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky urged Trump to “make no compromises with a killer,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump accused Zelensky of risking World War III and being ungrateful for the military aid provided by Washington. The public spat led to the cancellation of the planned signing ceremony and press conference, with Zelensky departing the White House shortly after