Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dodged directly answering whether he believed President Donald Trump backed Ukraine while visiting the White House on Friday.
Zelenskyy is visiting Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, and is expected to sign a minerals agreement on Friday that will allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals — in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
When asked if Zelenskyy believed Trump was on Ukraine’s side, Zelenskyy told reporters at the Oval Office that he believed the U.S. is on Ukraine’s side and reiterated the importance of stopping aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of Europe’s assistance during the conflict with Russia — prompting Trump to interject and claim U.S. contributions were more significant than Europe’s. But Zelenskyy pushed back and said that wasn’t true.
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Exact numbers on financial assistance to Ukraine vary slightly, depending on what is considered aid. However, Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Meanwhile, all European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, the German-based think tank the Kiel Institute estimates, with the U.S. contributing $119.7 billion in that same timeframe.
Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have increased in recent weeks as the U.S. has worked with Ukraine and Russia to advance a peace negotiation. After U.S. officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia Feb. 18 without Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters that “nobody decides anything behind our back.”
Trump and Zelenskyy then traded barbs at one another, with Zelenskyy accusing Trump of advancing Russian “disinformation” and Trump labeling Zelenskyy a “dictator” that has failed his country.
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On Thursday, Trump didn’t double down on that statement though.
When asked if he stood by his statement, he told reporters: “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that. Next question.”
Trump also told reporters while meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday that a peace negotiation was in the final stages, but he exercised caution about sharing details concerning a peacekeeping force in the region until a deal was finalized.
“I think we’re very well advanced on a deal,” Trump said. “But we have not made a deal yet. So I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal. I like to get things done.”
Trump also said he didn’t expect Putin to violate any agreement to create peace with Ukraine.
“I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word,” Trump said Thursday. “I don’t think he’ll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now.”
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