London, UK - Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his country still needed Donald Trump's support, despite the US president's shocking rebuke at the White House.

Trump accused Zelensky of not being "thankful" for US military aid, later writing that the Ukrainian president had "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office."

"It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do," Zelensky said in a long post on X.

The Ukrainian president had planned to sign a long-awaited minerals-sharing deal with Washington on the visit, but Trump officials reportedly ordered him to leave after the gobsmacking confrontation.

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"We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees," Zelensky said on Saturday, before repeating his country's position: that concrete US commitments to Ukraine were necessary to ensure that Russia would not invade again in the case of a ceasefire agreement.

"All Ukrainians want to hear a strong U.S. position on our side. It’s understandable the U.S. might look for dialogue with Putin. But the US has always spoken about 'peace through strength.' And together we can take strong steps against Putin," he wrote.

"American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them," Zelensky concluded.

European leaders rushed to their ally's defense after the spat, with Zelensky landing for talks in London earlier.