Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump following their heated Oval Office meeting, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff revealed on Monday that Zelensky sent a letter to Trump expressing regret over the incident.
“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff told Fox News. “I think that it was an important step, and there’s been a lot of discussion between our teams and the Ukrainians and the Europeans who are relevant to this discussion as well.”
Last week, Trump acknowledged receiving a letter from Zelensky but did not mention an apology. Instead, he read excerpts emphasizing Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate for peace. “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,” Trump quoted from the letter.
Despite Witkoff’s statement, previous remarks from Zelensky aide Mykhailo Podolyak suggested that Zelensky had no intention of apologizing. The conflicting reports add further intrigue to the fallout from their February 28 White House meeting, which reportedly ended with Zelensky being asked to leave and an anticipated mineral agreement between the two nations left unsigned.
In the aftermath of the tense exchange, intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine were temporarily put on hold. CIA Director John Ratcliffe later confirmed the pause, though Witkoff clarified that intelligence sharing for strictly defensive matters was not completely “shut off.”
U.S. and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to restart peace negotiations. The talks are seen as a crucial step toward reviving diplomatic efforts amid ongoing tensions.
