«Good meeting»: Zelenskyy comments on conversation with Vance and Rubio in Rome
- Svitlana Ivanchenko
-
•
-
17:44, 18 May, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio in Rome. Photo: PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION OF UKRAINEOn Sunday, 18 May, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Vice President of the United States of America J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome.
According to the Ukrainian president, they discussed the talks that took place in Istanbul the other day.
«We discussed the talks in Istanbul, where the Russians sent a low-level delegation that had no decision-making authority. I reaffirmed Ukraine's readiness for real diplomacy and stressed the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible», Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio in Rome. Photo: PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION OF UKRAINEThe parties also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defence cooperation, the situation on the battlefield and the future exchange of prisoners.
«The pressure on Russia must continue until it is ready to stop the war. And, of course, we discussed our joint steps to achieve a just and sustainable peace», the President of Ukraine noted.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump is seeking to arrange a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin as soon as possible.
As a reminder, the last time Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance in the Oval Office in February this year, the conversation ended in a quarrel.
Dispute in the Oval Office
As a reminder, the meeting between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the US President on Friday, 28 February, was ended early. The conversation between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance at the White House turned heated.
According to CNN sources, after the public part of the conversation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended, the American president and his advisers went into a separate room. It was then that Donald Trump finally decided that Volodymyr Zelenskyy «was not in the right place to negotiate», and instructed Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to convey the message that the Ukrainian president should leave.
In turn, after the failure to sign the US subsoil deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States, President Trump and Congress.
In an interview with Fox News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that such disputes are not good for both sides, but the President of Ukraine cannot «change our Ukrainian attitude towards the Russians» and does not want them to continue killing Ukrainians.
A number of European leaders, as well as American politicians, have expressed support for Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed Ukrainians and Zelensky on the social media platform X with the following words: «Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian friends, you are not alone».
French President Emmanuel Macron also said that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is a state that has been aggressed. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also expressed support for Kyiv, writing: «Ukraine, Spain is with you». President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen addressed Volodymyr with the following words: «Be strong, be brave, be fearless».
Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said after the argument in the White House that it was time for Europe to unite around Ukraine and strengthen its defence without illusions about «Big Brother».
In turn, the leader of the «Servant of the People» faction, David Arakhamia , supported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the White House dispute and stressed that the head of state wanted to put an end to the war.
After a spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump ordered the National Security Staff to check whether Washington could completely or temporarily stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.