‘We won’t apologize for a mistake that didn’t happen’: Zelensky advisor Podolyak on Oval Office incident

The Ukrainian authorities “will not apologize” for the contentious exchange between Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last week, senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Le Point that published on Friday.

In Podolyak’s view, Zelensky was “absolutely right, both in terms of form and substance,” in trying to convey to Ukraine’s American partners the “key message” that “without pressuring Russia, nothing will work.”

“It’s impossible to achieve positive results by counting on voluntary concessions from Moscow. Without pressuring Russia, no peace talks are possible,” Podolyak said. “Our president tirelessly explains to our partners what this war is and who provoked it… So we won’t apologize for a mistake that didn’t happen.”

Podolyak denied that the incident was a “humiliation” for Zelensky, saying instead that it was an “emotional discussion between political leaders.”

“As paradoxical as it may sound, this meeting was useful in some ways. By emphasizing our differences, we can clarify our views. Unlike us, the U.S. still believes that Russia is a country with which negotiations are possible,” Podolyak added.