Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcome back at the White House “any time”—but only if he is “ready to truly engage for peace,” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday.
Oval Office Tensions Boil Over
On Friday, Waltz, 51, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” to defend former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after their heated Oval Office clash with Zelensky.
Zelensky, 47, was reportedly booted from the White House after a fiery exchange over Russia’s history of aggression, in which he refused to commit to negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“What was so, I think, stunning to all of us in the Oval Office was that it was not clear Zelensky was going to go to negotiations at all,” Waltz said.
“When President Zelensky is ready to engage for peace truly, he’s welcome back any time.”
Mineral Deal Falls Apart Amid Spat
Zelensky’s visit was expected to include signing a mineral-rights agreement, a key deal that would have helped Ukraine repay the US for military aid. However, the deal collapsed after the Oval Office confrontation.
Vance, 40, pushed Zelensky to consider diplomacy, which led to a sharp rebuttal from the Ukrainian leader:
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?” Zelensky asked after recounting Putin’s repeated violations of past agreements.
Vance later called Zelensky “disrespectful,” and Trump’s team seduced the Ukrainian leader from the White House.
Calls for Apology Rejected
After the public feud, Zelensky was given several chances to apologize in a Fox News interview—but he refused.
When asked whether Zelensky needed to apologize to Trump to mend ties, Waltz dodged the question, insisting that the dispute was not an “ambush” and “that the mineral deal was finalized before Zelensky’s visit had sought security guarantees before signing the agreement, delaying its approval.
Trump Pushes for ‘Neutral’ Role in War
Trump, 78, has signaled he wants to act as a neutral broker between Ukraine and Russia, a stance that has unsettled Ukraine and European allies.
“The war needs to end, and that’s going to be concessions on territory, Russian security guarantees, and both sides coming to the table,” Waltz said.
The Trump administration has already opened talks with Russia on normalizing relations to end the conflict.
War Reaches Third Anniversary
The war in Ukraine recently marked its third anniversary.
The US had been firmly on Ukraine’s side for most of the conflict. Ukraine’s push for talks signals a potential shift in US policy.
Russia has already seized parts of Ukraine, and Waltz did not specify what “territorial concessions” he believes Kyiv should consider.
