KYIV, March 1 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked dozens of allies on social media on Saturday, a day after US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused him of not being sufficiently grateful.
Zelensky on X wrote the words “Thank you for your support” in individual replies to around 30 messages of support from European leaders after his heated clash with the new US administration in the White House.
Despite the confrontation, Zelensky earlier thanked Trump, the US Congress and the American people for their support and for his visit.
“Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also sent multiple thank yous to European counterparts in a social media flurry on Saturday.
As Friday’s White House meeting degenerated, Vance asked Zelensky: “Have you said ‘thank you’ once this entire time… in this entire meeting?”
A planned press conference with Trump and Zelensky was then cancelled and Zelensky was asked to leave.
Despite the clash, Zelensky later told Fox News he believed that “of course” relations with the US could be repaired.
But he refused to apologise, saying: “I’m not sure that we did something bad.”
He did, however, say he wished the exchange had not taken place in front of reporters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later on CNN called for Zelensky to “apologise for wasting our time.” — AFP
