Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is speaking about his historic Oval Office clash with U.S. President Donald Trump, defending his decision to speak up for his country at a critical juncture in its war against Russia.

The two leaders sparred inside the White House in front of the whole world last month with Trump accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of “gambling with World War III” for arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin can’t be trusted. The episode led to a temporary pause in U.S. aid and intelligence sharing with the country.

In an interview, Zelenskyy addressed the fact that Ukrainians rallied around him after his tense exchange with Trump rather than blame him for the diplomatic failure three years into the war.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainians “are very emotional, and when it comes to our sense of dignity, freedom, democracy, our people rise up and unite,” noting that his country expected the Trump administration to show that the U.S. still sees Kyiv as an ally.