- Witkoff says Zelensky apologised for what happened in Oval Office.
- Remarks follow US and Ukrainian officials’ preps for peace talks.
- Negotiations aimed at resolving Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.
United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky apologised to Trump in a letter after an explosive public argument during an Oval Office meeting.
“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologised for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff said 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.”
Witkoff’s latest remarks come as US and Ukrainian officials prepare for peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia this week aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia, The Hill reported.
He highlighted the significance of the Ukrainian president’s letter to his US counterpart, describing it as a sign of “progress”.
Last week, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, said that Zelensky “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country” for Ukraine to continue pursuing a peace deal negotiated by the US, NBC News reported.
However, in his recent joint address to Congress, Trump noted receiving a letter from Zelensky, seeking to mend relations just days after the US suspended military assistance to Ukraine.
Following a heated meeting between the two leaders, Zelensky referred to the encounter as “regrettable” but did not formally apologise.
Although he indicated Ukraine’s willingness to return to the negotiating table, where discussions focused on a potential minerals agreement were expected.
Witkoff said it’s important for the officials to discuss security protocols for Ukrainians, territorial issues and a utility plan.
“These are not complicated things, they just … need to be put on the table and everybody needs to be transparent about what their expectations are, then we can begin to have a discussion about how we compromise,” he said.
Furthermore, Witkoff is set to visit Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the date for his visit to Moscow is yet to be announced.
