The meeting was supposed to be a brief appearance before a signing ceremony between the USA and Ukraine. Instead, the two presidents, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyj, got into a verbal fight that completely escalated, after which Zelenskyj left the White House without either an agreement or a meeting.
But national, regional, and local leaders in the country give their full support.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synehubov, praises him and believes that Ukraine needs a fair peace with security guarantees.
Our leader stands, despite pressure, firm in defending Ukraine's and Ukrainians' interests, he says.
"A lion"
And among ordinary people, support for Zelenskyj also seems to stand firm. Pensioner and Kyiv resident Nataliia Serhiienko, 67, believes that Ukrainians appreciated Zelenskyj's appearance because he "fought like a lion".
Kyiv resident Artem Vasyliev, 37, thinks that Zelenskyj was met with "total disrespect" despite Ukraine being "the first country to stand up against Russia".
We strive for democracy, and we are met with total disrespect towards our warriors, our soldiers, and our country's people, he says.
"Not time for emotions"
The meeting between Zelenskyj and Trump was intended to lead to a mineral agreement between the countries, which would secure the USA's support for Ukraine in exchange for access to, among other things, the country's minerals.
However, Kyiv's mayor Vitalij Klytjko expresses some concern. He hopes "that Ukraine does not lose the USA's support, which is extremely important for us."
"Today is not the right time for emotions, from both sides. We must find common ground", he writes on Telegram.
