VOLODYMYR Zelenskyy has said it is “very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it”, after his clash with Donald Trump at the White House.
Zelenskyy’s call for support from Kyiv’s allies came after a fractious meeting with the US president in the Oval Office, which was broadcast on television.
The Ukrainian leader was reportedly kicked out of the White House, while a planned minerals deal with the US in exchange for further military support was put on ice.
A day before Starmer is set to host Zelenskyy and other European leaders in London to discuss defence and security, the Ukrainian president urged allies not to break ranks.
Writing in Ukrainian on messenger app Telegram, Zelenskyy said: “It is very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it, neither during the war nor after.
“It is important for people in Ukraine to know that they are not alone, that their interests are represented in every country, in every corner of the world.”
Starmer's crunch talks at Downing Street on Sunday will see European leaders gear up efforts to police a future Ukraine peace deal.
The Prime Minister believes a deal will have to involve US military assets providing surveillance, intelligence and potentially warplanes giving air cover to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching another bid to conquer his neighbour.
But hopes for unity between European nations and the US on Ukraine’s future were shattered by the Friday clash between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
The US president, his vice president JD Vance and Zelenskyy all spoke over one another in raised voices.
“You’re gambling with millions of people … You’re gambling with World War Three,” Trump said.
Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful”, and he and the US president claimed Zelenskyy had not been thankful enough for US military aid.
The clash came a day after Starmer's visit to the US, regarded as successful because the Prime Minister’s charm offensive with Trump secured support for the Chagos Islands deal, and signs that he may be able to hold off US tariffs on British goods.
Trump told reporters the meeting with the Ukrainian president “didn’t work out exactly great”, adding that his counterpart wanted to “fight, fight, fight” while the US was “looking to end this death”.
Zelenskyy told Fox News he was “always very thankful” to the US, and suggested there was no need for him to apologise to President Trump as he had not done “something bad” in their exchanges.
Ukraine’s president said he “of course” believed the relationship with Trump could be salvaged, adding: “It is relations more than two presidents. The historical relations, strong relations between our people.”
Downing Street signalled that Starmer – who has tried to position the UK as a bridge between Europe and the US – had since sought to smooth over relations between Ukraine and the US.
A No 10 spokesperson said the Prime Minister “retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine”.
European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had earlier expressed solidarity with Zelenskyy.
