Zelenskyy still ready to sign minerals deal with US despite White House spat with Trump

Zelenskyy, who was engaged in a fiery spat with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, told BBC he was still willing to have a "constructive dialogue" with the US.

"I just want the Ukrainian position to be heard," the President told the British news channel.

"We want our partners to remember who the aggressor is in this war," he said.

Zelenskyy's Video Message

In a separate X post, Zelesnkyy said he is grateful for the support he received from the USA.

"Of course, we understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we’ve received from the United States," Zelenskyy posted on X.

"There has not been a day when we haven’t felt gratitude. It’s gratitude for the preservation of our independence – our resilience in Ukraine is based on what our partners are doing for us – and for their own security," he said.

"What we need is peace, not endless war. And that’s why we say security guarantees are the key to this," the President said.

UK Financial Help

Meanwhile, British PM Keir Starmer announced an additional £1.6bn ($2bn) of UK export finance to help Ukraine buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles, media reports said.

Keir Starmer announced a loan of  2.2 billion British pounds ($2.8 billion) to support Ukraine, just days after US President Donald Trump was engaged in a fiery spat with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

Fiery Friday

According to video footage of the press appearance going viral, Zelenskyy was caught in a verbal spat with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.

While Vance accused Zelenskyy of being "disrespectful", Trump said he is "gambling with World War Three".

President Zelenskyy responded in equal measure, saying, "We are in our own country, and we have stayed strong all this time. We have even thanked you for it (your support)".

While Zelenskyy left the meeting after the heated exchange, Trump said the Ukraine president can come back to the White House “when he is ready for peace.”