Malaysia is a major participant within the tech panorama of Southeast Asia. Investments from U.S. tech corporations are serving to to drive progress, in response to the Malaysian Funding Improvement Authority, and the nation’s digital financial system is poised to be a significant contributor to its GDP. The fintech sector is a part of that progress, delivering companies and options for companies and customers. Right here’s an inventory of some corporations on the forefront of monetary companies innovation in Malaysia.
MoneyMatch’s worldwide cash switch options can be found in dozens of nations. Shoppers can provoke and handle transfers in additional than 42 currencies utilizing the corporate’s net dashboard and cellular app. MoneyMatch additionally provides a platform known as Pulse that’s particularly designed for managing enterprise funds.
Adyen makes fintech merchandise for companies. Its choices assist on-line and in-person funds, detect and stop fraud, and assist bodily and digital card issuing. The corporate has established greater than a dozen world places of work, together with a Kuala Lumpur location that opened in Bangsar South in 2022.
Companies depend on 2C2P’s complete platform to permit them to simply accept and make funds. Its options additionally cowl bodily and digital card issuing in addition to social commerce transactions. The corporate is headquartered in Singapore, however its crew of 500-plus staff additionally extends into Malaysia.
RHB Banking Group is a monetary companies supplier that’s headquartered in Malaysia, however has greater than 14,000 staff working throughout its operations in seven nations all through Southeast Asia. It delivers each private and enterprise banking options starting from bank cards and residential financing to enterprise loans and property insurance coverage.
iMoney connects customers with a curated portfolio of monetary merchandise, together with financial savings accounts, private financing options, and medical and automobile insurance coverage. The corporate additionally provides instruments like retirement and residential mortgage calculators and product finders that advocate bank card and private mortgage choices.
Merchantrade provides private and enterprise finance options, together with manufacturers centered on digital funds and insurance coverage. The corporate operates greater than 400 forex trade places and says it’s Malaysia’s largest remittance supplier. Merchantrade’s services emphasize selling monetary inclusion and uplifting underserved communities.
Increase is the Axiata Group Berhad model centered on delivering digital monetary merchandise for companies and customers in Southeast Asia. The Kuala Lumpur-based firm provides a cellular app that gives customers with versatile cost choices, for instance, and simplified on-line invoice cost experiences. Increase’s enterprise choices embrace EasyEat, which digitizes restaurant operations.
Smart’s know-how permits cash transfers for hundreds of thousands of individuals world wide. Customers can join an account on-line or by means of the Smart app to allow them to ship and request funds. Smart’s options can be found in a wide range of nations, together with the US, Argentina, Spain, Ukraine, Singapore, Mexico, Japan and Malaysia. The corporate additionally has an workplace within the Bangsar space of Kuala Lumpur.
BigPay’s free app offers customers entry to instruments for budgeting and monitoring their spending. Its accounts include both a Visa or Mastercard that customers can use to make purchases. The corporate’s know-how additionally helps contactless funds, and it’s straightforward to freeze a misplaced card and order a brand new one within the app.
AsiaPay focuses on know-how that retailers all through the Asia-Pacific area use to simply accept digital funds through debit and bank cards, financial institution accounts or digital wallets. Companies that work with AsiaPay may present their clients with purchase now, pay later options and allow over-the-counter funds at places like comfort shops.
S&P World, American Specific, and Nu are nice long-term investments.
Many monetary shares swooned in 2022 and 2023 as inflation, rising rates of interest, geopolitical conflicts, and different macro headwinds shook the markets. However in 2024, a few of these shares stabilized with the Federal Reserve’s three rate of interest cuts.
This 12 months, the Fed is anticipated to chop its charges a minimum of two extra occasions. The monetary sector might nonetheless face unpredictable challenges from tariffs and geopolitical tensions, but it surely might be sensible to purchase just a few resilient winners at the moment as long-term performs.
Picture supply: Getty Photos.
So even in case you solely have $200 to speculate proper now, I believe it is a good suggestion to nibble on these three resilient monetary shares via fractional trades: S&P World(SPGI 1.59%), American Specific (AXP 2.30%), and Nu Holdings(NU -4.44%).
1. S&P World
S&P World gives monetary knowledge, credit standing, and analytics companies for all of the Fortune 100 firms and 80% of the Fortune 500 firms. Its platform is extensively utilized by banks, insurance coverage firms, firms, universities, and institutional buyers. It is also been integrating new synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments, together with its Spark Help generative AI co-pilot, to speed up these duties.
From 2019 to 2024, its income grew at a compound annual development fee (CAGR) of 16% as its EPS elevated at a CAGR of 8%. It maintained that regular development despite the fact that its earnings dipped in 2022 and 2023. That two-year decline was primarily brought on by rising rates of interest, which quickly throttled debt choices and the expansion of its credit score scores enterprise, in addition to the divestiture of its engineering options enterprise in 2023.
From 2024 to 2027, analysts count on S&P World’s income and EPS to develop at a CAGR of seven% and 14%, respectively, as rates of interest decline, the debt market stabilizes, and extra organizations use its AI-powered analytics instruments to make extra environment friendly selections. Its inventory may not appear low-cost at 38 occasions this 12 months’s earnings, however its evergreen enterprise mannequin, large moat, and predictable development charges justify its premium valuation.
2. American Specific
American Specific controls a smaller slice of the cardboard processing market than Visa and Mastercard. However in contrast to these two market leaders, which do not truly problem their very own playing cards or tackle any debt, American Specific is a financial institution and card issuer that processes funds and backs its playing cards with its personal steadiness sheet.
That enterprise mannequin forces American Specific to solely problem its playing cards to higher-income and low-risk clients, which insulates it from financial downturns. It is also immune to rate of interest swings, since excessive rates of interest enhance its banking section’s web earnings as low rates of interest drive its cardholders to make extra purchases.
From 2019 to 2024, American Specific’ income and EPS grew at a CAGR of 10% and 12%, respectively, even because the pandemic and different macro headwinds rattled the worldwide financial system. From 2024 to 2027, analysts count on its income and EPS to rise at a CAGR of 8% and 12%, respectively. Its inventory nonetheless seems to be like a cut price at 19 occasions this 12 months’s earnings, and it ought to proceed rising at a gentle fee for many years to return.
3. Nu Holdings
Nu, which relies in Brazil and likewise operates in Mexico and Colombia, is the biggest digital-only direct financial institution in Latin America. Its whole variety of clients greater than tripled from 33.3 million on the finish of 2021 to 114.2 million on the finish of 2024. Its exercise fee (energetic clients divided by whole clients) rose from 76% in 2021 to 83% in 2024.
From 2021 to 2024, Nu’s income grew at a CAGR of 89%. It additionally turned worthwhile in 2023, and its web earnings practically doubled in 2024. That fast development was pushed by the enlargement of its ecosystem, with extra checking, bank card, lending, insurance coverage, funding, cryptocurrency, and business-oriented companies. It additionally tethered extra retailers to its Nu Purchasing e-commerce app, and it has been rolling out extra AI instruments to help its analytics instruments, chatbots, and cybersecurity companies.
The World Financial institution estimates that over 70% of Latin America’s inhabitants continues to be unbanked, so Nu nonetheless has loads of room to develop. As a digital-only financial institution, it will possibly develop a lot sooner than its regional brick-and-mortar opponents.
From 2024 to 2026, analysts count on its income and EPS to develop at a CAGR of 29% and 38%, respectively. These are stellar development charges for a inventory that trades at simply 21 occasions this 12 months’s earnings.
American Specific is an promoting companion of Motley Idiot Cash. Leo Solar has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Mastercard, S&P World, and Visa. The Motley Idiot recommends Nu Holdings. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.
The newest outbreak of measles started in Gaines County, Texas, the place vaccination charges are low
In her hometown of Lubbock, Texas, Leah, a pregnant mom, has been avoiding shops and different public areas for the final two weeks.
On Wednesday, town noticed a six-year-old baby who was not vaccinated in opposition to the virus die – the primary US demise from the measles in practically a decade.
With a child on the best way, Leah could possibly be placing her foetus vulnerable to well being issues if she contracted the virus, regardless of her personal vaccination. Her paediatrician additionally suggested her to maneuver up her older son’s second shot of the vaccine – the total course for the immunisation – as the chance to his well being grows.
“Mentally, it is taking a toll on me, interested by not simply myself and my baby, but additionally in regards to the those that I’ve to be round,” stated Leah, who declined to share her final identify for privateness causes.
The US declared measles “eradicated” from the nation in 2000, however lately, as anti-vaccine sentiments rose, the nation has seen a number of outbreaks of the virus.
The Texas outbreak started in a small Mennonite neighborhood close to Lubbock, dwelling to 260,000, and has since unfold. So far, there have been over 130 circumstances throughout Texas and New Mexico, with 18 sufferers hospitalised, native well being officers stated.
On Wednesday, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the nation’s newly confirmed high well being official, known as the Texas outbreak “commonplace”, a declare disputed by medical doctors and native residents.
Public well being specialists and Lubbock residents stated the well being secretary’s previous remarks about childhood vaccines – in addition to actions he is taken associated to them since coming into workplace – may gasoline an outbreak that’s worrying mother and father throughout Texas and close by states.
“We simply need folks to be wholesome, and it is undoubtedly exhausting to try this when we now have voices in our ears from management who do not share those self same factual opinions,” Leah stated.
The Division of Well being and Human Providers didn’t reply to a request for remark from the BBC.
In Lubbock, fearful mother and father and medical doctors
For the reason that starting of the outbreak, Katherine Wells, the director of the Lubbock Public Well being Division, has not had a time off.
She has hosted vaccine clinics to encourage folks to get pictures, contacted these whose youngsters could have been uncovered, and labored to coach the neighborhood in regards to the virus.
“It is as traumatic, if no more traumatic, than it was initially of the COVID pandemic,” she informed the BBC.
Ms Wells worries most about those that are usually not capable of get vaccinated in opposition to the extremely contagious illness, which spreads simply within the air and on surfaces, and when an contaminated particular person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus – which might trigger a fever, pink rash, cough and different signs – is also related to a bunch of issues, together with pneumonia, mind swelling and demise.
People who find themselves immunocompromised, youngsters beneath the age of 1 and pregnant folks can’t be inoculated in opposition to the measles.
That features the brand new child Lubbock resident Kyle Rable is anticipating. His spouse is 9 months pregnant and plans to ship in the identical hospital the place the affected person died of the measles.
Kyle Rable
Kyle Rable and his spouse are extraordinarily involved for his or her son’s first yr of life, when he can’t be vaccinated
Mr Rable is terrified for his son’s first yr of life.
“With it spreading basically like wildfire out right here, will we simply not go away our home for a yr? We will not try this,” he stated.
To realize herd immunity – when sufficient of a bunch is proof against a illness, limiting its unfold and defending the unvaccinated – round 95% of the inhabitants will need to have the pictures, stated Alefiyah Malbari, the chief of ambulatory pediatrics at College of Texas Dell Medical Faculty in Austin.
However a number of western Texas communities are properly under that determine, together with Gaines County the place the outbreak started and the place solely 82% of kindergartners are vaccinated.
“When you may have that many youngsters which can be unvaccinated, measles will unfold very, very simply inside the neighborhood,” stated Jill Weatherhead, a professor of infectious illnesses at Baylor Faculty of Drugs.
Now, medical doctors say, mother and father removed from western Texas are beginning to fear too. Dr Malbari is getting extra calls from mother and father anxious about defending their youngsters when not everybody will get the vaccine.
“I share that concern with them,” stated Dr Malbari.
Kennedy stays mum on vaccines
Earlier than Kennedy’s affirmation as the highest US well being official, public well being specialists sounded alarms in regards to the vaccine skeptic’s capacity to handle outbreaks, just like the one the US is seeing now.
He has repeated extensively debunked claims about vaccines, together with unsubstantiated theories that the pictures may cause autism.
Throughout his Senate affirmation listening to, Kennedy stated he supported the measles vaccination. He pledged to not discourage folks from vaccinations and to “do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it troublesome” to get vaccines.
However since taking workplace simply weeks in the past, he has introduced quite a lot of plans associated to vaccines, together with an investigation into whether or not the childhood vaccination schedule – together with measles vaccinations – has contributed to an increase in power diseases.
He additionally delayed the primary assembly of a CDC advisory panel that helps the company make suggestions on what vaccines – together with childhood immunisations – insurers ought to cowl.
Kennedy informed the CDC to halt promotions of a number of immunisations, together with a seasonal flu vaccine marketing campaign, as a substitute selling the thought of “knowledgeable consent” in vaccine decision-making, Stat Information reported final week.
The strikes have the potential to disrupt how the federal authorities ensures People have entry to protected vaccines, together with childhood immunisations, stated Dr Peter Lurie, a former US Meals and Drug Administration official.
However, Dr Lurie added, most troubling about Kennedy’s response to the measles outbreak, is “what he did not say, which is that the best way to include this outbreak is with vaccination”.
On Wednesday, throughout his first public look as well being secretary, Kennedy made claims in regards to the measles outbreak that native well being officers have since disputed.
Along with calling the Texas outbreak “commonplace”, he claimed youngsters with measles went to hospitals solely to be quarantined. Hospital officers stated they have been taken there due to the severity of their diseases.
Ron Cook dinner, a household doctor and Lubbock well being official who helps medical doctors reply to the outbreak, stated the neighborhood has not seen measles circumstances like this in many years.
“It is a devastating illness,” he stated. “And it is utterly preventable.”
Vaccines as a ‘alternative’
For some expectant mother and father in Lubbock, Kennedy’s minimisation of the outbreak has been troublesome to look at.
Leah stated she is aware of many native mother and father who will not vaccinate their youngsters due to misinformation about security. She stated information of the demise has not modified their minds.
“If something, it is simply made them double down on their beliefs,” she stated.
However Ms Wells has seen at the least just a few encouraging indicators. After the demise was introduced on Wednesday, round 18 folks got here to a vaccination clinic following many sluggish days.
Nonetheless, she stated, when she tells mother and father their youngsters could have been uncovered, some nonetheless don’t need to vaccinate, together with doses of the shot that may defend them after potential publicity.
“In Texas, vaccines are very a lot a alternative,” she stated.
Native well being officers are working extra time to construct belief and present that the vaccine is protected and efficient, Dr Cook dinner stated.
“We’re seeing some success, however we want to see considerably extra,” he stated. “It will be good to have some confidence popping out of the powers that be – on the nationwide stage – to point out that it is a good vaccine.”
Federal workers at a number of authorities companies are as soon as once more being informed to report their work accomplishments over the previous week to the Trump administration, based on a union supply and several other workers who obtained the Friday night missives.
The emails, titled “What did you do final week? Half II,” have been despatched to workers on the Bureau of Prisons, Normal Companies Administration, Client Monetary Safety Bureau, Workplace of Personnel Administration, Social Safety Administration and the departments of Schooling and Veterans Affairs, amongst others, the sources stated. CNN has seen plenty of the emails.
Employees have been once more directed to answer to the e-mail, which in practically all circumstances originated from OPM’s new HR e mail handle, with 5 bullet factors of their accomplishments and to repeat their managers. However this time, they have been informed that this shall be a weekly requirement, due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Mondays.
Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention workers additionally obtained the directive on Friday. Nevertheless, two emails despatched to CDC staffers that CNN seen originated from a Nationwide Institutes of Well being listserv, and it was unclear whether or not replies could be directed to OPM.
The same mass e mail was despatched with out warning final Saturday to greater than 2 million federal staff shortly after Elon Musk introduced on X that workers must say what they did at work previously week, warning, “Failure to reply shall be taken as a resignation.” They got a deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET final Monday.
That e mail request, which originated from OPM however didn’t embrace the specter of termination, sparked mass confusion and concern amongst staff and companies. A number of companies, together with the FBI and departments of Protection, State, Homeland Safety and Power, instructed their staff to not reply. Different companies informed staffers that replying was voluntary, whereas nonetheless others mandated that their workers comply. Simply hours earlier than the deadline, OPM offered steering that responding to the e-mail was voluntary.
Additionally on Friday, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered all Pentagon civilian workers to answer the same e mail that they are going to obtain on Monday requesting 5 bullet factors “on their earlier week’s achievements,” based on a duplicate of a memo distributed to the workforce, signed by Hegseth and obtained by CNN. The memo famous the shift from the company’s earlier steering that paused responses to the preliminary e mail.
Civilian workers obtained separate steering stating that the e-mail shall be coming from the Pentagon and that workers’ responses can even be saved inner to DoD, quite than going to OPM.
A million federal staff responded to the preliminary e mail, the White Home stated Tuesday. Looking for to make clear the parameters of the directive, Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, stated, “The company heads will decide the very best practices for his or her workers at their particular companies.”
Talking at President Donald Trump’s first Cupboard assembly of his second time period on Wednesday, Musk stated the e-mail was not a “efficiency evaluation” however quite a “pulse examine evaluation.”
“We expect there are a selection of individuals on the federal government payroll who’re lifeless. Which might be why they’ll’t reply. And a few people who find themselves not actual folks, like they’re actually fictional people which can be amassing pay checks,” he stated.
“So we’re actually attempting to determine, are these folks actual, are they alive and may they write an e mail?” Musk stated.
Nevertheless, Trump was fast to interrupt to assert these federal staff who haven’t replied to the e-mail “are on the bubble” and susceptible to getting fired.
“These million those who haven’t responded to Elon, they’re on the bubble,” Trump stated.
“These individuals are on the bubble, as they are saying. Possibly they’re going to be gone, perhaps they’re not round, perhaps they produce other jobs, perhaps they moved, they usually’re not the place they’re speculated to be,” Trump added.
White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval Office.
Inside, a remarkable scene was unfolding. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had begun berating their guest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a hitherto unseen public implosion of a key global relationship.
For supporters of Ukraine, the moment was disastrous: Everything that could have gone wrong in a meeting between two headstrong leaders did, in the span of 10 minutes.
Yet for all the shock, it was not an unforeseen outcome. Indeed, in the lead up to the talks — which were intended to culminate in the signing of a new agreement on rare earth minerals — many allies of both men quietly wondered whether their already combustible dynamic would end in triumph or catastrophe.
Efforts were taken to prepare Zelensky for a successful meeting with Trump, who is famously susceptible to flattery and highly attuned to how he’s being treated. The Ukrainian president was warned to focus squarely on the minerals deal — and to avoid getting drawn into a fight.
“I told him this morning, ‘Don’t take the bait. Don’t let the media or anyone else get you into an argument with President Trump. What he’s doing today is resetting the relationship,’” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among a group of Republican and Democratic senators who met Zelensky before he came to the White House.
Other European leaders who’d come through the building this week offered Zelensky their own guidance, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who has found success in an approach to Trump that balances adulation with pushback.
Still others — including some US officials — tried to discourage Zelensky from making the trip to Washington at all, believing work was still needed to strengthen what had already become a hostile relationship.
Still, by the time Zelensky was pulling into the White House gates on Friday, few could have predicted quite how explosive the ensuing 139 minutes would become — though some detected early signs of trouble.
Stepping from his black SUV wearing what has become his standard uniform — drab military shirt and pants — Zelensky did not belie any tension with Trump, who had walked through the halls of the West Wing to greet him.
But some US officials watching from afar saw a problem: Zelensky’s attire.
“Oh you’re all dressed up,” Trump said with an air of sarcasm as he greeted Zelensky and shook his hand.
Before the Oval Office meeting devolved into a shouting match, Zelensky was asked by a reporter from a right-wing outlet — handpicked by the White House to be in the room during the talks — why he was not wearing a suit in the United States’ highest office.
“I will wear a costume after this war will finish, yes,” Zelensky said, responding in English. “Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don’t know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you.”
Perhaps taking a lesson from the parade of foreign leaders who had preceded him in the White House over the past month, Zelensky did not arrive empty handed. He brought with him the UFC belt won by the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk last year.
The colorful gold belt, which sat propped on one of the end tables as the two men got to talking, went unmentioned during the talks, glinting under the lights.
For the first 40 minutes of their talks, Trump did not evince outward bitterness toward Zelensky, instead discussing the minerals deal they were planning to sign later in the day.
Indeed, upstairs in the East Room a long wooden table had been prepared for the signing ceremony, with four chairs ready for the signatories.
It was never to be.
Joining the conversation after remaining mostly silent, Vance interjected — “Hold on. Hey, I want to respond to this” — to make the case for Trump’s efforts at bringing the conflict to an end.
“The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy,” he said, directing his comments to Zelensky.
That is where everything went south.
A bristling Zelensky – himself unaccustomed to public rebukes after three years of stalwart Western support – indignantly laid out the ceasefires Russia had broken in the past.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What – what do you have – what do you – what do you mean?” he asked incredulously.
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance responded from his place on the sofa next to Trump.
It only devolved from there.
“I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance said in a sharp reprimand. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
When Zelensky tried – somewhat unsuccessfully – to get a word in, Trump erupted in anger.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” he bellowed, talking right over Zelensky when he objected.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” he shouted. “You’re gambling with World War III.”
A few minutes later, Trump dismissed the media from the room.
“This is going to be great television, I will say that,” he called out as reporters filed out.
A rattled Ukrainian delegation — including the Ukrainian ambassador to Washington Oksana Markarova, who stopped taking notes during the meeting and simply placed her head in her hands — left the Oval Office to regroup in the Roosevelt Room, just down the hall.
Huddling with his own key advisers to assess the situation, including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump was enraged, saying he felt disrespected by Zelensky’s tone.
“Zelensky played it as wrong as he could play it. He came into Oval acting like a tough guy. It didn’t play well. Everyone in the room felt insulted,” one US official said. “Now Zelensky will have to figure out how to fix this on his own. We can’t fix it for him.”
The president ultimately decided that Zelensky was “not in a place to negotiate,” one White House official said. He directed Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz to deliver the message to the Ukrainians who were waiting nearby: It was time for Zelensky to leave.
The Ukrainians protested, saying they wanted to continue the talks, the White House official said. But the request was declined.
As the plates of salad, chicken and crème brûlée that had been planned for lunch sat uneaten on carts in a hallway outside the press secretary’s office, the Ukrainians were instructed to leave.
The surreal day of broken diplomacy unfolded in the span of less than three hours.
Zelensky’s motorcade left the White House gates at 1:42 p.m., with no fanfare or sendoff. He was driven a short distance away to the Hay Adams Hotel, where he and his advisers were staying.
Less than an hour later, he sent a message on social media expressing his gratitude to his hosts: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit.” He added, “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace and we are working exactly for that.”
By then, a White House that had started the day looking to make a deal with Ukraine had suddenly changed course and sought to turn the diplomatic uproar into a moment of strength by launching an extraordinary public relations offensive.
“President Trump and VP Vance are standing up for Americans,” the White House said in the first of several statements Friday afternoon. A few hours later, another message was sent with words of support from members of the Trump cabinet.
“Amen, Mr. President,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said.
Graham, a close ally of Trump who had met with Zelensky earlier in the day, strode to the cameras outside the West Wings. He called on Zelensky to apologize or consider stepping aside.
“I have never been more proud of the president,” Graham said.
Meanwhile, inside the East Room of the White House, the set up for a news conference for Trump and Zelensky was dismantled. A large table for the two leaders to sign the agreement, against a backdrop of three Ukrainian and three American flags, was moved away.
For the next few hours, Trump worked inside the West Wing with his staff. He was seen in the Oval Office with Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, and other advisers before he stepped out to leave the White House for the weekend.
Marine One was waiting, but Trump stopped to talk one more time, trying to put his stamp on the day’s remarkable turn of events.
“He’s looking to go on and fight, fight, fight,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn. “We’re looking to end the death.”
Asked if he wanted Zelensky to step down, Trump declined to answer directly, only saying: “I want somebody that’s going to make peace.”
A whirlwind day in Washington drew to a close as Trump boarded Air Force One and flew to his Mar-a-Lago resort for the weekend. Shortly after takeoff, Zelensky came on Fox News, for an interview that Trump watched on the presidential aircraft.
Zelensky said he did not believe he owed Trump an apology for the fiery outbursts in the Oval Office, but expressed his regret that it all unfolded on television for the world to see.
“I think it was not good,” Zelenksy told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “I think it was not good.”
But he said he believes his relationship with Trump and America will survive.
“Your people helped save our people,” Zelensky said. “We are very, very thankful.”
The White House meeting between US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday was supposed to focus on minerals-sharing agreements and US support for Ukraine’s war against Russia. Instead, it erupted into an extraordinary confrontation that shocked the world.
In front of the world’s media, Trump and Vance berated Zelensky, accusing him of not being “thankful” and pressuring him to accept a peace deal with Russia. In response, Zelensky appeared to implore the two American leaders to reconsider their position by claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly breached ceasefire agreements, illegally occupying Ukrainian territory in the Crimean peninsula and violating human rights.
The tense encounter, which left the Ukrainian leader visibly uncomfortable, has since sparked a fierce backlash not just across Washington but also beyond.
The dramatic scenes inside the Oval Office prompted Trump’s opponents to accuse him of holding a pro-Russian position on the ongoing Russia- Ukraine war. Democrats have condemned Trump and Vance’s actions as an appeasement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Republicans defended their approach as putting “America First.”
A Democratic party leader from Massachusetts even went on to say that Zelensky “flew to Washington but walked into the Kremlin” in the aftermath of the fiery meeting.
“What we saw in the Oval Office today was beyond disgraceful. Trump and Vance berating Zelensky- putting on a show of lies and misinformation that would make Putin blush-is an embarrassment for America and a betrayal of our allies. They’re popping champagne in the Kremlin,” wrote Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen.
Republicans, however, saw the Oval Office confrontation as a necessary shift in US policy, arguing that Ukraine must recognise the limits of American support.
“Thanks to President Trump-the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are OVER… What we witnessed in the Oval Office today was an American President putting America first,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson
“Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before. Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!” wrote Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media.
How the Clash Unfolded
Tensions had already been high before the meeting. Trump and Zelensky have long had a strained relationship, exacerbated by Trump’s push for a diplomatic settlement with Russia and his past questioning of US aid to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The meeting began with polite exchanges over minerals trade agreements, but after more than 30 minutes of discussion, Vice President Vance shifted the focus to something else. Urging Zelensky to consider negotiations with Russia, he argued that Ukraine was prolonging a war it could not win.
Zelensky responded by pointing out Russia’s repeated violations of past agreements, but Vance, sitting calmly on a couch opposite him, accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful” and of failing to express gratitude for US military assistance.
Trump quickly escalated the confrontation, raising his voice and warning Zelensky that the United States would abandon him if he refused to negotiate a peace deal with Russia.
Zelensky later reflected on the encounter in a Fox News interview, saying he hoped the relationship with the US could be repaired. However, he took aim at Vance’s role in the clash: “With all due respect to the vice president, I mean, he has his own interviews.”
In the wake of the Oval Office clash, European leaders rushed to reassure Ukraine of their continued support.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk: “You are not alone.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I reaffirm unwavering support for Ukraine.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: “A summit without delay is needed between the United States, European states and their allies to talk frankly about how we intend to tackle today’s major challenges, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” Meloni said in a statement.
Russia, however, reveled in the discord. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked Zelensky as an “insolent pig” who had been “properly slapped down in the Oval Office.”
Ukraine, for its part, stood firmly behind its president. The country’s military leadership vowed to continue fighting, while Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised Zelensky’s “bravery” in standing up to Trump and Vance.
One of the most surreal moments of Friday’s Oval Office showdown between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine came at the very end.
After all the shouting and the saber-rattling and the lecturing and the pleading and the politicking had ceased, the American president shifted a little in his seat and shared an observation.
“This is going to be great television,” he remarked. “I will say that.”
It was a conclusion as startling as it was fundamentally Trumpian.
This was not a season finale boardroom scene of “The Apprentice” that had just taken place. It was the highest of high-stakes talks — one that could determine the fate of millions, the existence of a sovereign nation and the security of a continent — going wildly off the rails.
But for Mr. Trump, one thing that was on his mind, as always, was the ratings. He sounded almost excited by the drama of the spectacle, as though he could feel the front pages of the world’s newspapers being written in real time.
This is a man who spent years yelling at people on TV as a way to make a living. He is wired to think about things in terms of “great television.” He is a highly conscious performer. But playacting as a tough guy on NBC on Thursday nights between 9 and 10 p.m. is not the same thing as bossing around an ally before the eyes of the world, even if Mr. Trump uses the same language to describe one performance as he would the other.
Still, how one postures before the cameras is of paramount importance in this White House.
After the meeting, the president did an imitation of Mr. Zelensky in front of the cameras and said: “All of a sudden, he’s a big shot.” Where Mr. Trump is involved, there is usually room enough for one big shot.
The other European leaders who had come to Washington over the past few weeks to reason with him about Russia understood this. They knew how to play their parts in the Oval Office while the cameras were rolling. President Emmanuel Macron of France literally held Mr. Trump’s hand at one point. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented a letter from King Charles III to Mr. Trump for all to see. It went over so well that Mr. Trump brought the letter out to wave around again a little while later at their joint news conference.
It’s not that Mr. Zelensky doesn’t know how to perform. He was a television actor before he became president and has been skillful in using the media as he tries to galvanize support. But evidently the role of supplicant was not one he was going to play Friday.
Right away, things got off to a bad start, since Mr. Trump seemed to feel the Ukrainian leader was not properly costumed: He wasn’t wearing a suit. “He’s all dressed up today,” Mr. Trump said sarcastically as he greeted him outside the West Wing.
Ordinarily, in the theater of Trump, it is the journalist who plays the role of the heel. The president regularly clashes with members of the news media, and everybody more or less knows how to play their parts. This time the character arguing with him up there was another president — one with his own aims and his own experience playing to the world’s cameras.
Vice President JD Vance told Mr. Zelensky that it was “disrespectful” for him to “try to litigate this in front of the American media.” But so much of the Trump doctrine is litigated before the media. And it was Mr. Vance — a onetime best-selling author and TV talking head who is media savvy himself — who seemed particularly determined to instigate a blowup while reporters were in the room.
Outside the White House, hundreds of journalists lined up for a news conference that would never come. When Mr. Trump announced that he was calling it off, a mob of cameras rushed across the pavement to get the shot.
Mr. Zelensky emerged from the West Wing. He climbed into the back of a black Chevrolet Suburban adorned with two little flags, one American and one Ukrainian. All the cameras slowly turned to watch as he made his way down the drive and away from the White House.
SATURDAY PUZZLE — Ryan Judge has constructed two prior puzzles for The New York Times, both of them themeless — one ran on a Friday and the other on a Saturday. For all the solvers who enjoy guessing which day a puzzle should fall on based on its difficulty, today’s began as a Friday but was upgraded to a Saturday. I think it’s a good example of what a fine line there is between the two days. Truth be told, I often wonder what would happen if a themeless puzzle that was discernibly easier ran regularly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of later in the week and then Friday puzzles came with difficult themes.
This is a pretty grid that separates itself into five barely connected patches, which makes for its own challenge, as it is easy to get stranded. Each area includes at least one bit of difficult trivia and a couple of clues designed to throw us off. I think it’s well done and rises to the difficulty of a Saturday.
Tricky Clues
13A. You either know this one or you don’t, I think; I had to put it together letter by letter from crossing Down entries. The [Incan emperor captured by Pizarro’s forces] was its last leader, Emperor ATAHUALPA, who ruled for just a year before the Spanish overran the entire region.
16A. The pun in this clue — [In-tents dining experience?] — had me thinking of all the outdoor dining structures that were a fixture in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic. The answer isn’t specific to a place or time, though: It’s a STREET FAIR.
30A. I have absolutely no idea who this is, nor have I heard of the game in the clue, and it’s also a debut Times crossword entry. [_____ Aran, protagonist in Nintendo’s Metroid] solves to SAMUS. After a moment of research (how do you even pronounce SAMUS?), I learned that Metroid and the character in question have been around since 1986, so I don’t know if this is really arcane trivia or if it’s canon that I should be embarrassed not to have known.
33A. With a few crossing letters, most solvers will get this joke: [Snack items that can go to your head] are POT BROWNIES. They’ve been in the Crossword a few times before, with similarly wry cluing ([Delectable made with grass], for example).
49A. This clue confused me to no end, probably because it’s a golf reference: [Performed exactly as expected, in a way] solves to PARRED, which is another way of saying “made par.” Par is a difficulty rating determined by distance and some strange things like wind, elevation or whether you’re playing the links on a Friday or a Saturday (just kidding).
26D. This is an interesting term and another crossword debut. [Familiar injury in football and soccer] is TURF TOE, a sprain of the big toe that occurs during running, jumping and cutting back and forth on a playing field. The “turf” is a reference to artificial grass, which was apparently blamed for an epidemic of this problem in the 1970s.
34D. [Big sucker?] is a somewhat unexpected way to clue a WHIRLPOOL, but that is indeed what one is. I think the average person rarely sees one of these outside of their own plumbing fixtures (although there was one in Brooklyn in 2023), but the largest examples in Earth’s oceans are being studied as a sort of analogue to black holes in space, which is interesting.
36D/37D. These entries make good neighbors because 36D, the [Wailer of folklore], is a perfect illustration of 37D, [Strong and lively, as language]. What’s more evocative than a BANSHEE, whose name comes from the Irish for a “woman of the fairies,” and whose loud, nocturnal laments are said to predict a listener’s demise? What a robust, PUNCHY term.
Constructor Notes
I made this puzzle in the summer of 2023 and I’m happy to finally see it out in the world.
This was originally slotted for a Friday, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was moved to a Saturday — because, of course, that means it’s harder! Thanks to the editors for beefing up some of the clues (I especially liked their approach to 35-Down). I was glad that my clue for 1-Down survived, but, alas, my “Latte Larry’s” reference for 3-Down didn’t make the cut.
Hope you enjoyed the puzzle!
Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?
The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online.
For tips on how to get started, read our series, “How to Make a Crossword Puzzle.”
Visitors to Chicago have two airports to choose from: O’Hare International Airport (ORD), a sprawling complex in Chicago’s northwest corner, or Midway International Airport (MDW), which offers more convenient access to the city but with fewer flights.
Different airlines generally focus on different airports; for example, Southwest Airlines flyers have the best selection out of Midway, while those flying American Airlines, United Airlines or internationally will likely end up at O’Hare. But the two are approximately 30 miles apart — so it’s important to plan strategically for your needs.
This guide examines the pros and cons of each airport.
Distance to downtown and transportation options
CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
Chicago stretches north, south, and west, roughly partitioned into thirds by branches of the Chicago River. O’Hare is in the far northwest of the city, while Midway sits deep in the Southwest Side.
The Loop is Chicago’s central downtown business district. Using the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, also known as “the Bean,” as our reference point, we measured the distance from each airport. The Bean is two blocks south of the river and within walking distance of Navy Pier, Museum Campus and the Magnificent Mile shopping district.
Here’s how the two airports stack up:
Getting downtown
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Midway Airport (MDW)
Distance (by car)
18 miles
12.5 miles
Time (by car)
40-60 minutes
30-40 minutes
Estimated Uber cost
$45
$30
Public transit
CTA Blue Line
CTA Orange Line
Since O’Hare has multiple terminals, it might take five to 10 minutes to get in and out of the airport area. Regardless of timing, you’re likely to encounter rush hour traffic en route to O’Hare throughout most mornings and evenings. Therefore, I would plan for 45 minutes to an hour to get downtown from O’Hare. Cabs charge a flat rate to go downtown — around $40 — while ride-hailing services can cost anywhere between $35 and $60.
The cheapest option is taking the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line rail, available from Terminals 1, 2 or 3 or via a free airport shuttle from Terminal 5. Travel time is about 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the time of day. However, if you have a lot of checked luggage, a cab may be advisable, as the trains do not have luggage racks and some of the stations are only accessible via stairs.
Midway, on the other hand, is roughly 30 minutes from The Loop and generally less prone to traffic delays than O’Hare — but I would still expect to encounter some traffic. This is especially true if you’re traveling on a Sunday when the Chicago Bears are playing at Soldier Field. Interstate 55 runs past the field en route to the airport and will get backed up. You can also take the Orange Line to downtown or consider an Uber or Lyft for approximately $30 or a cab for $35 to $40.
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Winner: Regardless of how you plan on traveling to the city from the airport, Midway comes out ahead — less traffic, shorter drives, cheaper Ubers and less time spent on the train if you’re headed downtown. Travelers to other Chicago neighborhoods or the suburbs may feel differently, though. For example, those headed to northwest neighborhoods might find O’Hare more convenient — even if the traffic adds an unwanted headache when getting to or from the airport.
Airlines and flight options
CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
When it comes to airlines, O’Hare and Midway could not be more different. According to OAG’s 2024 annual report of the world’s busiest airports, O’Hare was the 10th-busiest airport in 2024. Per data sourced by analytics firm Cirium, 735,881 planes departed from ORD in 2024.
O’Hare also stands out among U.S. airports as a major hub for two different airlines, United and American. Southwest Airlines started flying out of O’Hare in 2021 as well, adding to the competitive mix.
Midway sold 26.6 million seats across 166,453 departures in 2024, per Cirium. Southwest remains the dominant carrier at Midway with 23.5 million seats and nearly 150,000 departures in 2024, followed by Frontier (1.4 million seats and 7,785 departures), Volaris (689,694 seats and 3,775 departures), Delta Air Lines (642,784 seats and 7,054 departures) and Porter (131,742 seats and 1,689 departures).
Of the nearly 94 million seats sold out of O’Hare in 2024, United served 44 million across more than 352,000 departures, followed by American (28.1 million seats and 255,061 departures), Spirit (3.6 million seats and 17,816 departures), Delta (3.5 million seats and 27,476 departures) and Southwest (2.2 million seats and 13,687 departures). United is the clear winner among U.S. carriers that fly internationally.
When it comes to international flights, ORD has several notable carriers operating from the airport to destinations around the world, including:
Aeromexico
Aer Lingus
Air Canada
Air France
Air India
Air New Zealand
Alaska Airlines
ANA
Avianca Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Finnair
ITA Airways
Iberia
Icelandair
Japan Airlines
JetBlue
KLM
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Qatar Airways
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Swiss
Scandinavian Airlines
TAP Air Portugal
Turkish Airlines
No matter where in the world you’re heading, there’s a good chance you can fly directly from O’Hare.
Midway, on the other hand, is a key part of Southwest’s network, which operates an overwhelming majority of the flights out of the airport. Delta Air Lines — which has a relatively small presence at O’Hare — is another of the seven airlines to operate from Midway.
Winner: For AvGeeks and road warriors, there’s something special about O’Hare. American and United have expansive domestic route networks and there aren’t many destinations you can fly to from Midway that you can’t fly to from O’Hare. Add in the host of international carriers, and O’Hare likely wins for many. However, as a local, I much prefer Midway for the shorter commute. With fewer people, there seem to be fewer problems, and this creates an easier, more pleasant airport experience overall.
Airport amenities and perks
New gates at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
In my opinion, neither airport is a place I love spending more time than I have to, but others may disagree.
The sprawl of runways and terminals at O’Hare often leads to long taxi times and random delays. Plus, it lacks much of the high-end shopping you can find at newer and international airports. Still, there are some great lounges at O’Hare.
It’s also worth noting that the airport is currently undergoing a 10-year major modernization project that will add 19 new gates to its existing Concourse C. The O’Hare 21 Terminal Area Plan includes two satellite concourses, a new O’Hare Global Terminal (replacing Terminal 2) and an underground tunnel connecting the new facilities. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.
An obvious win for O’Hare is the city being home to the United HQ, which makes the airport the obvious choice for United flyers. As a result, you can find four United Clubs and the country’s first revamped Polaris Lounge. In 2024, I visited all of the United Clubs and the high-end Polaris Lounge. The four United Clubs are relatively similar, varying minimally in size, design and newness. The latest club, which opened in 2023, boasts plenty of natural light and space for travelers in Terminal 1.
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Polaris Lounge at ORD. CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
The Polaris Lounge is luxurious, with private shaded daybed rentals atop 145-degree heated Saks Fifth Avenue linens, showers and warm towels upon checking in. Plus, it’s the only Polaris in the country with a chandelier, where every ball represents a city street in Chicago. The Polaris Lounge is across from the duty-free store, accessible to international customers traveling in United Polaris and premium Star Alliance cabins.
United Club℠ Infinite Card holders ($525 annual fee) receive unlimited complimentary United Club access for themselves and up to two guests per visit. Meanwhile, the United℠ Explorer Card includes two single-use United Club passes yearly. You can also pay for a United Club membership with either cash or miles, with prices varying by United Premier elite status level.
In our experience, there is usually room to sit down and grab a bite to eat. The food and drink selection is basic, but you won’t go hungry with a selection of cold cuts, soups and other snacks.
The only other free way to access a club is by holding an eligible premium ticket, specifically business- and first-class tickets on international American- or Oneworld-operated and domestic flagship-ticketed flights for specific routes.
Otherwise, AAdvantage members can pay for access in various ways, ranging in price from $550 to $650, depending on their status level.
Regardless of how you gain access to the Admirals Club, travelers must present a same-day American, JetBlue or other Oneworld carrier boarding pass to do so, excluding lifetime Admirals Club members (who have lifetime access, as the name suggests).
The Flagship Lounge is a step above with fewer crowds, dedicated service desks and great views of the airport.
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CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
You’ll also find an elevated selection of food and drinks with buffet-style dishes laid out in a huge spread.
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CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
O’Hare also has a Delta Sky Club, one of our favorites in the system. This lounge has more than 22,000 square feet of space, showers, great views of the airport and Delta jets and two bars. There’s even a Chicago-style hot dog vendor.
Our favorite feature of this club is that it also has two boarding gates! One is used for flights to its hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and the other is for international Delta partners like Air France.
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CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Top-tier Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members can redeem Choice Benefits for a Delta Sky Club membership, while any Delta status holder can pay cash or redeem miles for a Delta Sky Club membership.
Some premium credit cards provide complimentary lounge access, and there are also a variety of paid options to enter a Sky Club, so long as you are not flying basic economy.
As of Feb. 1, 2025, Delta has capped Sky Club visits yearly (Feb. 1 to Jan. 31) to 10 visits for Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum and 15 visits for Delta Reserve Amex and Delta Reserve Business Amex cardholders.
Finally, there’s a Swissport Lounge in Terminal 5 accessible via the Priority Pass. This lounge is skippable, in my opinion — we peeked in, and the lounge was pretty sad-looking..
Swissport Lounge at O’Hare. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
Finally, a lounge at Midway
As of September, Midway has its first lounge after 96 years of existence. The Club MDW is in Concourse B and is open daily from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. for all travelers. It’s part of the Priority Pass network; non-Priority Pass members can also access the club for $50 daily.
Inside MDW’s new lounge. CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
The Club MDW is certainly a welcome addition after nearly 100 years. I would expect capacity issues over time, though, as I found it very crowded on a recent visit, with few places to sit.
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Interior of The Club MDW. CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
Winner: Although most of O’Hare’s lounges are off-limits unless you’re flying in a premium cabin or hold top-tier elite status, there are at least a variety to choose from. The addition of Midway’s inaugural lounge may encourage travelers to get to the airport earlier than they would have previously, however — and I suspect the Club will work out its initial kinks in time.
Bottom line
CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
After nearly three years in Chicago, I have a love-hate relationship with O’Hare, despite my growing allegiance to United. But the annoyance I feel every time I order an Uber to or from O’Hare is unmatched, as I anticipate invariable traffic.
If you’re flying internationally or you are loyal to United or American, you’ll be flying out of O’Hare. But if Southwest is a good option for domestic travel, the often-overlooked Midway is worth paying attention to.
Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of national intelligence, thanked President Donald Trump Friday for his “unwavering leadership” after his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day.
“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership in standing up for the interests of the American people, and peace,” Gabbard wrote on X Friday evening, hours after the fiery exchange.
“What you said is absolutely true: Zelensky has been trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia/WW3 for years now, and no one has.”
Tensions increased during the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements.
ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’
Trump and Vice President JD Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table.
Donald Trump with Tulsi Gabbard at a campaign event in August. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“You’re playing cards,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”
After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means “everybody has problems, even you,” adding the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.”
“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump responded. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a press conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.
President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed in the Oval Office Friday. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov)
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for America’s help after the meeting.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” he wrote on X. “Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
The Ukrainian president told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview after the meeting he believes Ukrainian-U.S. ties can be salvaged.
“Yes, of course, because it’s relations more than two presidents,” he said in the exclusive interview on “Special Report.” “It’s the historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that’s why I always began … to thank your people from our people.
Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the tense exchange in the Oval Office. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov)
“Of course, thankful to the president and, of course, to Congress,” he said, “But, first of all, to your people … we wanted very much to have all this strong relations and where it counted. We will have it.”
Zelenskyy said he was “not sure we did something bad” when asked about the heated exchange but conceded the dustup was “bad for both sides.”
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Trump also received support from Republicans like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Trump was “standing up for America,” while Democrats like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly wrote on X, “To be clear, the only winner in this shouting match in the Oval Office is Putin. Almost can’t believe this happened.”
