United States President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a tense Oval Office meeting on Friday, accusing him of being “disrespectful” while he sought security guarantees from the United States amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Trump rebuked Zelenskyy for pushing for US security commitments, telling him, “You’ve got to be more thankful,” and warning that he was “gambling with World War III.”
The remarks came after Zelenskyy expressed distrust in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promises of peace, arguing that Putin has a history of breaking ceasefire agreements. The exchange turned confrontational when Zelenskyy questioned the kind of diplomacy Vance was advocating, pointing out that Putin had repeatedly violated past agreements, news agency AP reported.
JD Vance, one of the administration’s most skeptical voices on Ukraine, then accused Zelenskyy of debating Trump in front of the American media. “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked. The tension escalated as Vance reacted angrily, accusing Zelenskyy of organising “propaganda tours.”
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Trump intervened, telling Zelenskyy, “Don’t tell us what we’re gonna feel. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel… You don’t have the cards right now…You are gambling with the lives of millions of people. You are gambling with World War Three and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country…You have done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble…You are not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out okay, because of us.”
“You haven’t been alone. We gave you, through [our] stupid president, $350 billion. We gave you military equipment … If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would’ve been over in two weeks,” he added.
As the meeting continued, Trump and Zelenskyy had a back-and-forth over European support for Ukraine, with Trump insisting that Europe had done much less compared to the US Zelenskyy disagreed, saying, “They really gave a lot, Mr President.” Trump responded, “Really? Maybe they did, but they gave much less,” to which Zelenskyy repeatedly replied, “No.” Trump eventually waved his hand, saying, “Okay.”
Trump cut short his talks with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy after Oval Office blow-up, reported AP. The US President took to his social media platform Truth Social and remarked that Zelenskyy is “not ready for peace if America is involved”.
“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.
Zelenskyy’s “Hatred” For Putin Making Negotiations Tough: Trump
Notably, Trump refused to align with either Ukraine or Russia, stating, “If I did not align myself with both of them, you are never going to have a deal… I am not aligned with Putin. I am not aligned with anybody, I am aligned with the United States of America and for the good of the world.” He added that Zelenskyy’s “hatred” for Putin made negotiations tough. “If you want me to be tough, I can be tougher than any human being you have ever seen,” Trump said.
#WATCH | Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump says, “If I did not align myself with both of them, you are never going to have a deal…I am not aligned with Putin. I am not aligned with anybody, I am aligned with the United States of America and for the good of the… pic.twitter.com/grW55cafXm
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Despite the contentious discussion, Trump acknowledged the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers and highlighted an economic agreement between the US and Ukraine, noting that Ukraine’s rare earth minerals could support artificial intelligence and military weapons in the US Zelenskyy, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of securing air defence systems and called for the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.
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Trump, who is pushing to end the war and improve US-Russia relations, told Zelenskyy that he had to make a deal or risk losing US support. “People are dying… you’re running low on soldiers,” he warned, as quoted by news agency Reuters. Zelenskyy, however, stood firm, insisting, “No compromises with a killer.”
Earlier in the meeting, Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House for discussions and lunch before their scheduled signing of an agreement on US participation in Ukraine’s mineral industry. While Trump maintained that he wanted peace, he criticised the continued US financial support for Ukraine, saying the money could be put to “different kinds of use like rebuilding.”
“I hope I’m going to be remembered as a peacemaker… I’m doing this to save lives — more than anything else… this could lead to a third world war. This was headed in the wrong direction,” Trump said.