After the scandal in the White House! Volodymyr Zelensky will have a hard time reconciling with the vindictive Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took some steps over the weekend to repair the damage after his dispute with US President Donald Trump took place in front of the ''whole world'' on Friday, February 28. However, he faces an extremely difficult road ahead to restore relations in Washington, writes The Wall Street Journal.

The publication notes that the separation between Zelensky and Trump threatens to disrupt US relations with Kiev and Western allies. European leaders have tried to mend ties by calling Zelensky and Trump, but a senior White House official has said that Zelensky is the one who should seek reconciliation with the United States.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Zelensky has so far taken "half-hearted" steps. Yes, he expressed gratitude to the US and Trump personally for military assistance over the years, but did not apologize for the conflict in the Oval Office, the publication writes.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Zelensky in an interview with ABC on Sunday of thwarting the planned signing of the agreement, saying that the Ukrainian president had "used every opportunity to try to vindicate Ukraine on every issue".

John Bolton, who was Trump's national security adviser for a year and a half during his first term, commented that Trump's personal dislike of Zelensky now has a huge impact on US foreign policy.

"If he likes a foreign leader, we have a good relationship with that country. If he doesn't like a foreign leader, we don't like him either. Trump likes to admit that he doesn't like Zelensky. So that's the equation for you," he added.

John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under George W. Bush, said Zelensky clearly irritated Trump during the Oval Office meeting, repeatedly criticizing Putin and demanding that Trump provide U.S. security guarantees on live cameras.

Zelensky "could have handled himself better" by raising these issues in a private meeting after the Oval Office meeting, Herbst said. Ukraine does need security guarantees, he said, but Friday's meeting, like other interactions between the leaders, was overshadowed by their difficult relationship in the past.

"History matters because Trump remembers things," Herbst said. "He remembers insults. Remember the favors too."

The Zelensky-Trump feud

Earlier, the WSJ wrote that the conflict between Zelensky and Trump was inevitable, since Trump essentially takes a pro-Russian position in the war in Ukraine, and Zelensky has no intention of obeying unconditionally.

At the same time, Bloomberg wrote that the administration of US President Donald Trump has made it clear that it sees Volodymyr Zelensky as an obstacle to providing assistance to Ukraine, but has encountered paradoxical resistance from Ukrainians. The more the US puts pressure on Zelensky, the more Ukrainians side with their president.