Zelensky apologized to Trump for the altercation in the White House

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent a letter of apology to U.S. President Donald Trump for the incident in the Oval Office of the White House on February 28.

This was revealed by Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, during a broadcast on Fox News.

“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for the entire incident that occurred in the office. I believe this was an important step,” Witkoff stated.

He added that following the heated exchange, both Zelensky’s and Trump’s teams engaged in extensive discussions. The U.S. special envoy described this as progress in Washington-Kyiv relations and expressed hope that the rare-earth metals agreement between the two nations would still be signed.

On February 28, Trump and Zelensky met in the Oval Office of the White House in front of journalists. After the press conference, representatives from Kyiv and the U.S. administration were expected to sign an agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukrainian rare-earth metals.

However, a heated exchange broke out between Trump, Zelensky, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Vance and Trump accused Zelensky of being disrespectful and ungrateful. Trump further criticized the Ukrainian president, stating that he was “playing with millions of lives” and could push the world toward World War III.

Following the incident, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials suggested that Zelensky should apologize. Trump concluded from the exchange that Zelensky was not ready for peace if it involved U.S. participation.

On March 4, Zelensky commented on the altercation with Trump, stating that he regretted the conflict but did not issue the apology that Washington had been demanding. However, the next day, Trump addressed Congress, stating that he had received an “important letter” from Zelensky.

According to The Times, Steve Witkoff later confirmed that Trump was pleased with the letter, stating:

“It contained an apology. It acknowledged that the United States has done a great deal for Ukraine, and it expressed a sense of gratitude.”

Despite the letter, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak declared on March 7 that Kyiv would not formally apologize for Zelensky’s behavior in the White House. He maintained that Zelensky was “completely right in both form and content” during the discussion.

Podolyak explained that the Ukrainian president was simply trying to convey a key message to American partners—that no progress could be made without increased pressure on Russia.

He also emphasized that Kyiv does not see Trump as an enemy despite the heated discussions of recent days. According to Podolyak, Trump remains a partner of Ukraine, and maintaining constructive relations with the U.S. is crucial for resolving differences within a bilateral framework.

Speaking about the rare-earth metals agreement, which was disrupted due to the Oval Office dispute, Podolyak stated that the deal remains “just as important” for Ukraine as it is for the U.S. He stressed that it could open the door to a strategic partnership between the two countries. However, he warned that without security guarantees, such a partnership would not be viable.