Zelensky should apologize for his dispute with Trump, according to Marco Rubio.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of allegedly harboring hostility towards U.S. President Donald Trump and derailing a mining agreement. According to Rubio, Zelensky should apologize to Trump.

In an interview with CNN, the U.S. Secretary of State stated that the meeting between the presidents at the White House on February 28 failed. He claimed that it was Zelensky who "turned this matter into a fiasco."

Marco Rubio emphasized that Volodymyr Zelensky should apologize to Trump for the dispute at the White House. He also questioned the Ukrainian president's desire for peace with Russia.

“There was no reason for him to be hostile. We are trying to end this war. This can be done by bringing Russia to the negotiation table. He understands that. Attacking Putin—regardless of how anyone personally feels about him—puts the president in a position where you are trying to force him to attack Putin, calling him names, making maximalist demands that Russia must pay for reconstruction—when you speak about this aggressively, you will not make people sit at the table,” Rubio said.

According to Rubio, Donald Trump "has been making deals all his life," accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of being unwilling to sign an agreement regarding Ukraine's rare earth resources, which theoretically could have enabled security guarantees for Ukraine.

Dispute Between Zelensky and Trump at the White House

On February 28, Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington to meet Donald Trump and sign an agreement on investing in the extraction of rare earth minerals in Ukraine. At a press conference prior to the signing of the agreement, Trump stated that it was "difficult for him to make deals" because he faced "Zelensky's hatred for Putin."

During a press interaction involving Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President Pence, a dispute occurred, during which the American side claimed that Ukraine "should be grateful" and sign a ceasefire agreement. In response, Zelensky stated that "the U.S. should not tell Ukraine what to do."

After this, the press conference was halted, and Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House early. Donald Trump released a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of "unwillingness to make peace." Trump also wrote that the Ukrainian president "showed disrespect." The agreement on rare earth minerals in Ukraine was derailed, reported correspondents from the scene.

Later, Trump stated that Zelensky must say he "wants to reconcile" to continue negotiations—according to the politician, an immediate ceasefire could be achieved. In conclusion, Trump remarked that Zelensky "did not look like a person who wants peace" and also dodged questions from journalists about possible cuts to aid for Ukraine.

Leaders of several Western countries expressed support for Ukraine. The Trump administration and the president himself accused Volodymyr Zelensky of being unwilling to make peace.

In an interview with the pro-Republican Fox News channel, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he is not ready for a peace agreement without guarantees for Ukraine, and expressed confidence that his relationship with Trump "can be salvaged." When asked if Zelensky was ready to return to the White House immediately and sign an agreement, the president responded negatively. Additionally, the Ukrainian president dodged the question of whether he was prepared to apologize to Trump for the dispute.