A high-stakes Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy erupted into a dramatic confrontation on Friday, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of "disrespecting America" and warning that Ukraine must either negotiate peace or risk losing U.S. support. The heated exchange led to the abrupt cancellation of a planned joint press conference and cast doubt over future relations between Washington and Kyiv.
The meeting started amicably, with smiles and handshakes. Trump even praised Zelenskyy, calling him "a great guy." But things quickly took a turn when Zelenskyy attempted to explain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lack of diplomacy to U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Vance, unimpressed, shot back, "You’re litigating in front of the world’s press. This is not the place. You’ve taken part in photo-ops with Democrats, and now you come here and disrespect the administration that’s trying to prevent your country’s destruction?"
Trump, visibly frustrated, raised his voice. "You don’t have the cards," he told Zelenskyy. "You are either going to make a deal, or we’re out. If we are out, you will fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty."
Shortly after the clash, Trump took to Truth Social with a sharp rebuke. "I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."
The meeting had been set to finalize a U.S.-Ukraine framework agreement on rare-earth minerals—critical for high-tech manufacturing. However, the brewing tensions pushed the signing to the sidelines.
Trump made it clear that while he was not aligned with Putin, he wanted a deal. "If I did not align myself with both of them, you are never going to have a deal… The hatred Zelenskyy has for Putin makes it very tough for me to negotiate."
Trump bluntly reminded Zelenskyy of Ukraine’s reliance on American aid. "If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks," he said. "You’ve got to be more thankful because, let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. Without us, you don’t have any."
Zelenskyy fired back, defending his position. "In 2014, nobody stopped him (Putin). He just occupied and took. He killed people. In 2019, I signed a deal with him for a ceasefire. He broke it. He killed our people and did not exchange prisoners. What kind of diplomacy are you speaking about?"
Vice President Vance wasn’t having it. "Right now, you guys are forcing conscripts to the frontlines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking President Trump. Instead, you come here and attack the very administration that’s trying to stop the destruction of your country. That’s disrespectful."
The fiery confrontation resulted in the cancellation of the planned joint press conference. A somber-looking Zelenskyy left the West Wing after more than two hours, avoiding reporters.
Trump left the door open for future discussions but made his expectations clear. "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. We gave you $350 billion. We gave you military equipment. If you didn’t have our military, this war would have been over in two weeks."
Also Read: "Will Step Down if Ukraine Secures NATO, Lasting Peace": Zelenskyy
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