Zelensky still open to minerals deal with U.S. but stands firm against Trump’s demands for an apology — BBC
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was prepared to meet one of President Donald Trump’s demands by signing a minerals agreement granting the United States access to Ukraine’s resources, he would not apologize to the U.S. president, BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reported after speaking with Zelensky alongside other British journalists at London’s Stansted Airport on the evening of March 2.
“He [said he] would not apologize to Trump or express regret for anything that happened in the Oval Office, which at the moment, the U.S. president’s camp is repeatedly calling for,” Kuenssberg reported.
Zelensky told journalists he had traveled a long way to visit the White House, calling the trip a sign of respect. He added that he would never “insult anybody” and said the meeting had ultimately served neither side’s interests.
According to Kuenssberg, Zelensky was deliberate in his wording and spoke only in Ukrainian. He was not openly critical of Trump and “suggested tensions would pass.”
