Rubio criticizes Zelenskyy, calls for apology after White House clash

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to apologize after their Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump turned into what Rubio described as a “fiasco.”

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Rubio criticized Zelenskyy’s approach during the tense discussions with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying the Ukrainian leader had turned the talks into a confrontation.
“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” Rubio said Friday on The Source.

Rubio also questioned whether Zelenskyy was truly committed to peace in Ukraine’s war with Russia. “When you start talking that aggressively – and the president is a dealmaker, he’s made deals his entire life – you’re not going to get people to the table,” he argued. “You start to perceive that maybe Zelenskyy doesn’t want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn’t.”

Rubio’s comments came just hours after the White House meeting, which ended without a breakthrough on leveraging Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals or making progress toward ending the war. The heated exchange underscored the growing divide between Kyiv and Washington as Ukraine continues to push for stronger US support.