Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky had a heated argument at the White House, with the US president ordering his Ukrainian colleague to make a deal with Russia “or we are out.”.
The two leaders continually interrupted one another during what was supposed to be a preliminary to signing a minerals agreement.
After strained relations due to Trump’s handling of Ukraine peace talks with Russia, the minerals pact was intended to be a step towards stronger security ties between the two countries.
However, Zelensky left before the pact could be signed, as the public Oval Office meeting came to a close.
At one time, Trump informed Zelensky that he was not grateful enough for US military and political backing and that he was “gambling with World War Three”.
Zelensky had previously advocated that there should be “no compromises” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Trump stated Kyiv would have to make sacrifices to establish a peace agreement with Russia.
The meeting to discuss the deal, which includes access to Ukrainian oil, gas, and rare minerals, occurred after America’s new president appeared to blame Zelensky for the war and chastised him for not initiating peace negotiations with Russia sooner.
His tone had softened recently, with Trump stating that he had “a lot of respect” for the Ukrainian president.
However, Friday’s conversation worsened when US Vice President JD Vance, who was with other leaders in the meeting, informed Zelensky that the war had to be stopped through diplomacy.
Zelensky reacted by asking, “What kind of diplomacy?” referring to a previous ceasefire agreement in 2019, reached three years before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The vice president then accused him of being disrespectful and “litigating” the matter in front of the media.
From there, the conversation swiftly deteriorated, with Trump and Vance accusing Ukraine’s president of being ungrateful for three years of US backing during the war with Russia, with Trump claiming he was in no position to tell the US how to feel.
Not long after the meeting, Zelensky was observed departing the White House in his official vehicle ahead of time.
Trump took to Truth Social, his own social media platform, to allege that “Zelensky disrespected the US in its cherished Oval Office”.
“I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” the US president went on to say. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE.”
Zelensky also took to social media following the encounter, writing four messages thanking the president and the United States.
The summit elicited global reactions.
Russia claimed Trump and Vance acted with restraint against Zelensky. A foreign ministry spokeswoman claimed it was a miracle the pair did not hit Ukraine’s democratically elected leader.
Meanwhile, European allies have shown their support for Zelenksy. French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Trump this week, said Russia was the aggressor and the Ukrainian people were being targeted.
And Poland’s President, Donald Tusk, assured Ukraine, “You are not alone.”
Democrats in Congress accused Trump and Vance of conducting dirty work for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while several Republican members backed Trump during the encounter.
