Zelensky Owes Apology for Trump Office ‘Fiasco,’ Rubio Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should apologize after his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance devolved into a tense confrontation, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio, who attended the meeting, questioned whether Zelensky genuinely seeks peace in Ukraine’s war with Russia.

In an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Rubio argued that Zelensky “turned this thing into the fiasco for him that it became” and should take responsibility.

“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” he said on The Source.

The meeting, which ended without a deal on leveraging Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals or advancing peace negotiations, saw Trump and Vance accusing Zelensky of lacking gratitude for US military aid and overstating his leverage in negotiations.

Rubio suggested that Zelensky’s approach may indicate a reluctance to pursue a settlement.

“He says he wants peace, but maybe he doesn’t,” Rubio said. “When you start talking that aggressively—the president is a dealmaker, he made deals his entire life—you’re not going to get people to the table.”

Tensions reportedly escalated when Zelensky challenged Vance’s suggestion that diplomacy could pave the way for peace, reminding him of Putin’s previous diplomatic maneuvers before launching his full-scale invasion in 2022.

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“What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?” Zelensky asked.

Vance responded by calling the Ukrainian leader “disrespectful” for trying to debate the issue “in front of the American media.” Rubio said the meeting “went off the rails” after that exchange.

Following the meeting, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham—usually a strong supporter of Ukraine—suggested that Zelensky should consider resigning. Asked about this, Rubio said Trump has taken “no position” on the matter but emphasized that Zelensky would be welcome back to the White House “when he’s ready to make peace and he’s serious about peace.”

“How are you going to get Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation to a table to discuss even the opportunity, whether even to explore whether there’s an opportunity for peace?” Rubio said. “You’re not going to do it by calling them names.”

Rubio also underscored Trump’s stance on Russia, stating that the president maintains a “trust, but verify” approach toward Putin.

The secretary of state argued that Ukraine’s ongoing war is unsustainable and that Trump is the only leader capable of ending it.

“Tonight, people will die in Ukraine,” Rubio said. “It’s an unsustainable, bloody war that has to come to an end.”

“And right now, the only leader in the world that can even have a chance of bringing about an end to this is named President Donald Trump, and we need to give him the opportunity to try and do that,” he added.

While the White House meeting did not yield progress, Rubio said discussions would continue, though he cautioned that any future talks involving Trump, Zelensky, and Putin would require significant groundwork.

He called Russia’s war against Ukraine complex with deep-rooted causes, adding, “There’s a lot of work to be done before we get to this point. It is a lot to navigate. A lot has been invested on both sides.”

In an interview with Fox News following his heated Oval Office meeting, Zelensky firmly rejected the idea of stepping down over the dispute with Trump.

When asked if he would consider leaving office, Zelensky responded: “No. This decision can only be done by the people of Ukraine. Americans vote for their presidents… and only Ukrainians vote for Ukrainians.”

However, he admitted to having regrets about how the meeting unfolded.

“I think it was not good, I just want to be honest, I just want our partners to understand everything correctly,” Zelensky said.

He reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to sign a deal with the US, but only if security guarantees were included.

When asked whether he believed he owed Trump an apology for the confrontation, Zelensky shook his head.

“No, I respect the president, and I respect the American people,” he said. “But I am not sure we did something bad.”