Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s meeting with US President Donald Trump has ended in acrimony after the two leaders traded verbal blows before the world’s media at the White House over the war with Russia.
The visit by Zelenskiy was designed to help Ukraine convince the United States not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Instead the Ukrainian leader disagreed sharply with Trump and Vice President JD Vance over the conflict, underlining how the change of administration in Washington DC has undermined Ukraine’s attempts to maintain foreign support for its war effort.
Vance stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the conflict while Zelenskiy countered that Putin could not be trusted in any negotiations.
Trump quickly took to Truth Social to accuse Zelenskiy of disrespecting the United States.
“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved,” he wrote, using an alternative spelling of the leader’s name.
“He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Zelenskiy left the White House early following the confrontation, without signing a much-vaunted deal between Ukraine and the United States over the joint development of natural resources.
US media reported that the leaders broke off their closed-door meeting and a joint press conference that had been scheduled was cancelled.
Zelenskiy was seen getting into a car parked in front of the West Wing and driving away on Friday.
Trump and Zelenskiy did not sign a minerals deal on Friday, a White House official told Reuters.
Trump has not ruled out an agreement but not until Ukraine is ready to have a constructive conversation, a senior US official said.
It was up to the Ukrainians if the leaders’ cancelled joint news conference could be rescheduled while Zelenskiy remained in the US, the official said.
The clash undermines recent efforts by European leaders to convince Trump to provide security guarantees for Ukraine even if he has refused to deploy US soldiers on Ukrainian soil.
Such guarantees are seen as crucial to deter Russia from future aggression.
“People are dying, you’re running low on soldiers,” Trump told Zelenskiy as they engaged in a remarkably blunt argument before reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump threatened to withdraw US support from Ukraine.
“You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty,” Trump told Zelenskiy.
“You don’t have the cards. Once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting at all thankful, and that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing.”
Zelenskiy openly challenged Trump over his softer approach toward Putin, urging him to “make no compromises with a killer”.
Trump stressed that Putin wants to make a deal.
“You are gambling with World War III,” Trump told Zelenskiy at one point, urging him to be more thankful.
Vance interjected that it was disrespectful of Zelenskiy to come to the Oval Office to litigate his position, a point Trump agreed with.
“You didn’t say thank you,” Vance said.
Zelenskiy, raising his voice, responded: “I said a lot of times thank you to American people.
Zelenskiy, who gained billions of dollars’ worth of US weaponry and moral support from the previous administration under president Joe Biden for its fight against Russia, is facing a sharply different attitude from Trump.
Trump wants to quickly wind down the three-year war, improve ties with Russia and recoup money spent to support Ukraine.
“I hope I’m going to be remembered as a peacemaker,” Trump said.
Earlier, Trump told Zelenskiy that his soldiers have been unbelievably brave and that the United States wants to see an end to the fighting and the money put to “different kinds of use like rebuilding”.
The agreement negotiated in recent days would open Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth to the United States but does not include explicit US security guarantees for Ukraine, a disappointment for officials in Kyiv.
Trump says the presence of US businesses would serve as a form of guarantee.
How much the deal would be worth to the United States is not spelled out.
Trump has said he expects to gain hundreds of billions of dollars.
Zelenskiy has said he would not sign an agreement that would put his country in debt for generations.
REACTION TO WHITE HOUSE TALKS ACROSS THE GLOBE:
ZELENSKIY ON X
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ
“No one wants peace more than the citizens of Ukraine! That is why we are jointly seeking the path to a lasting and just peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany – and on Europe.”
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON TO REPORTERS IN PORTUGAL:
“Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the aggressed people. I think we were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago, and to continue to do so. We, that is the United States of America, the Europeans, the Canadians, the Japanese and many others. And we must thank all those who have helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning. Because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, their children and the security of Europe. These are simple things, but they’re good to remember at times like these, that’s all.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN ON X
“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President.
“We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
SPANISH PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ ON X
“Ukraine, Spain stands with you.”
NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER JONAS GAHR STOERE IN STATEMENT TO TV2
“What we saw from the White House today is serious and disheartening. Ukraine still needs the US’s support, and Ukraine’s security and future are also important to the US and to Europe. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has strong support in Ukraine, broad support in Europe, and he has led his people through a very demanding and brutal time, under attack from Russia. That Trump accuses Zelenskiy of gambling with World War III is deeply unreasonable and a statement I distance myself from. Norway stands with Ukraine in their struggle for freedom. We hope that the Trump administration also understands the importance of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL ON X
“We stand with Ukraine more than ever. Time for Europe to step up its efforts.”
DUTCH PRIME MINISTER DICK SCHOOF
“The Netherlands continues to support Ukraine. Especially now. We want lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression that Russia has started. For Ukraine, for all its inhabitants and for Europe.”
ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MARGUS TSAHKNA ON X
“The only obstacle to peace is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s decision to continue his war of aggression. If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. Estonia’s support to Ukraine remains unwavering. Time for Europe to step up.”
POLISH PRIME MINISTER DONALD TUSK ON X
“Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
JOHANN WADEPHUL, DEPUTY OF CONSERVATIVE PARTY-GROUP IN GERMAN PARLIAMENT, THE PARTY OF INCOMING CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ, ON X
“The scenes from the White House are shocking. How can you stab the president of an invaded country in the back like this? Free Europe will not betray Ukraine!”
FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV, DEPUTY HEAD OF THE RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL, ON TELEGRAM
“For the first time, Trump told the cocaine clown the truth to his face: the Kyiv regime is playing with the third world war. And the ungrateful pig received a strong slap on the wrist from the owners of the pigsty. This is useful. But it’s not enough – we must stop military aid to the Nazi machine.”
ITALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MATTEO SALVINI, LEADER OF THE FAR-RIGHT LEAGUE PARTY ON X
“Aim for PEACE, stop this war! Come on @realDonaldTrump”.
