It comes after the heated White House clash
NATO chief Mark Rutte has told Ukrainian President Zelensky that he needs to find a way to restore his relationship with President Trump after the pair clashed at the White House on Friday.
Rutte told the BBC on Saturday that he had a call with Zelensky and he said: “It is important that President Zelensky finds a way to restore his relationship with the American President and with the senior American leadership team.”
Zelensky clashed with Trump and vice president JD Vance in the oval office over the conditions of a possible ceasefire with Russia.
Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being disrespectful despite repeatedly talking over him and refusing to let him finish his point.
They also accused Zelensky of not being grateful for America’s sustained military support of Ukraine which he denied.
Zelensky showed pictures of the devastation of his country to Trump while also arguing he had thanked the American people for their aid.
Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if the Ukrainian leader didn’t agree to his peace terms.
Vance claimed Trump was attempting to engage in diplomacy, whereas President Joe Biden wasn’t able to stop the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and spent four years ‘talking tough about Vladimir Putin.’
Zelensky responded: “He occupied big parts of Ukraine. Parts of the east and parts of Crimea. He occupied it in 2014. During 2014, nobody stopped him. He just occupied and took. He killed people.”
He added that he signed a ceasefire agreement with Russia in 2019 – a treaty also signed by Germany and France. He claimed Putin has been violating that agreement by launching incursions and also not abiding by a prisoner-swap deal.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?” Zelensky asked the vice president.
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance said.
When Zelensky tried to cut in, Vance continued with: “Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.
“Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems.
“You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Trump took offence to Zelensky’s comments about a ‘nice ocean’ separating him and his country from the war.
He said: “First of all during the war, everybody has problems. Even you, but you have a nice ocean and don’t feel it now but you will feel it in the future.”
Trump jumped in to say: “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel… You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel.”
“You’re gambling with World War III,” he shouted.
Following the tense exchange, both presidents took to social media while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged his ongoing support to Ukraine.
