Fact check: Zelensky Has Publicly Thanked the United States at Least 78 Times

Former President Donald Trump asserted on social media that Ukraine's leadership had shown "zero gratitude" for U.S. support. That claim is incorrect. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly expressed gratitude to the United States on dozens of occasions since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in early 2022 — we identified 78 distinct instances.

Overview

Zelensky's acknowledgements appear across speeches, social posts, press conferences, and meeting summaries. They include repeated personal thanks to President Joe Biden during 2022–2024 and frequent expressions of gratitude to President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials after the 2024 U.S. election. These public thanks were delivered in Ukraine, in the United States, and in other international settings.

Representative examples

Below are selected, representative examples that illustrate the pattern of public gratitude (not an exhaustive list):

• March 16, 2022 — In a virtual address to the U.S. Congress Zelensky said: "Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its overwhelming support... I’m grateful to President (Joe) Biden for his personal involvement."
• December 21, 2022 — In remarks to Congress and in meetings with U.S. leaders he repeatedly thanked President Biden, both parties in Congress, cities and ordinary Americans for their assistance and hospitality to Ukrainians.
• December 2023 — At U.S. defense events and in a National Defense University speech Zelensky publicly thanked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, U.S. defense firms and "America" for life-saving assistance and air-defense systems.
• January–July 2024 — Multiple posts and public statements on X (formerly Twitter) thanked the president, Congress and the American people for successive aid packages and bipartisan support.
• February–August 2025 — Zelensky thanked President Trump and U.S. officials after meetings and phone calls about ceasefire prospects, security cooperation and humanitarian issues; he also praised U.S. actions such as sanctions and energy support.
• November 2025 — Zelensky told Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and later posted on X: "Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump for the assistance that — starting with the Javelins — has been saving Ukrainian lives."

Methodology and limitations

The tally of 78 instances is based on public records: speeches, social-media posts, press conferences, and summaries published by the Ukrainian presidency. The compilation was expanded with additional examples discovered after an earlier review and is not claimed to be exhaustive. It does not attempt to catalog most of Zelensky's remarks delivered in Ukrainian or private, closed-door conversations; some included examples rely on official meeting summaries that report Zelensky's expressions of thanks.

Conclusion

Public evidence shows that Zelensky has repeatedly expressed gratitude to the United States and to U.S. leaders. While political debates continue over policy and negotiations, the factual record contradicts the claim that Ukraine's leadership has shown "zero gratitude" for American support.