Zelenskyy Apologized to Trump After Oval Office Clash, Witkoff Says

‘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,’ the White House envoy said.

President Donald Trump with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy apologized to President Donald Trump for a heated Oval Office meeting this past week in a letter that Trump cited during his March 4 speech before Congress, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff said.

“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff said on March 10 in an interview on 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.”

The letter, mentioned by Trump during his congressional address, also signaled Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. Trump quoted Zelenskyy as saying Ukraine was “ready to come to the negotiating table” and eager to “work under President Trump’s strong leadership” to reach a lasting peace.

Trump also said Zelenskyy wrote in the letter that Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals deal with the United States.

Zelenskyy’s outreach follows his contentious Feb. 28 meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, which the Ukrainian president later called “regrettable.” The meeting, initially meant to finalize an economic agreement granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, devolved into a heated exchange over the path to ending the war.

During the meeting, Trump pressed for an immediate cease-fire and direct negotiations with Russia, while Zelenskyy pushed back, questioning the viability of any agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy argued that Putin could not be trusted to uphold a peace deal and insisted that any future agreement with Moscow include explicit security guarantees from the United States. Trump, however, rejected the idea, maintaining that U.S. economic involvement in Ukraine’s mineral sector would provide a strong enough deterrent against future Russian aggression.

After the meeting, Trump accused Zelenskyy of using U.S. military aid to prolong the fight against Russia rather than engaging in negotiations with Moscow. Shortly afterward, Trump halted U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, intensifying pressure on Kyiv to agree to a cease-fire while also pushing European allies to step up their support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss potential peace talks with Russia. Zelenskyy, who arrived in Jeddah on Monday, is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the summit.

While the United States has restricted intelligence-sharing with Ukraine for offensive operations, Witkoff noted that defensive intelligence remains available. Officials are expected to discuss the future of U.S. military aid and intelligence-sharing during the talks in Saudi Arabia.

“We never shut off intelligence for ... anything defensive that the Ukrainians need,” Witkoff told Fox News.

Trump, who said he has received “strong signals” from Russia about peace negotiations, framed the moment as an opportunity to end the war. “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” he said to applause during his address to Congress.

In a bid to encourage Russia to get serious about peace talks, Trump threatened sanctions and tariffs on Moscow.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” he wrote in a March 7 post on Truth Social.

Trump did not say how much in tariffs or what other types of sanctions he would impose on Russia.

In his latest public statement on March 10, Zelenskyy reiterated his readiness to engage in peace talks, saying on X that Ukraine “has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war,” while blaming Russia for ongoing hostilities.