A planned news conference and ceremony to sign a US-Ukraine minerals deal was quickly cancelled after Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House immediately.
In a social media post following his departure, Zelenskyy expressed that Ukraine needs a “just and lasting peace,” adding that they are “working exactly for that.”
A wave of support quickly followed online, with the strongest comments coming from French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Macron said he believes “we all were right to have helped Ukraine and sanctioned Russia three years ago, and to continue to do so.”
“There’s an aggressor, which is Russia, and a people attacked, which is Ukraine,” Macron told reporters as he was on a state visit to Portugal.
“We must thank all those who helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning.”
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had a strongly worded but sobering statement.
“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader,” she said.
“It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
Kallas previously served as prime minister of Estonia.
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Meanwhile, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, whose country borders Russia, firmly expressed support for Ukraine.
“The only obstacle to peace is the decision by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to continue his war of aggression,” Tsahkna said in a statement.
“If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. Estonia’s support for Ukraine remains unwavering. It is time for Europe to step up. We do not need to wait for something else to happen; Europe has enough resources, including Russia’s frozen assets, to enable Ukraine to continue fighting.”
Officials from Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland also offered their support to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commended Zelenskyy, saying he had “bravery and strength to stand up for what is right.”
“He stands up for Ukraine and the goal of a just and lasting peace. We have always been and will continue to be grateful to America for its support,” he wrote.
It wasn’t all positive, however, as some US politicians, strongly backed their president.
In a statement, Republican congressman Don Bacon said it was “a bad day for America’s foreign policy”.
“Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom,” Bacon said.
Republican congressman Mike Lawler called the meeting “a missed opportunity for both the United States and Ukraine” on X and added that “Having this spill out into public view was a disaster — especially for Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy had met with a bipartisan group of senators before his White House meeting, including Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Lindsey Graham. Neither immediately commented on the Oval Office meeting.
