Watch the full exchange between President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance as a meeting in the Oval Office turned into a heated argument.
The Globe and Mail
President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance scolded Volodymyr Zelensky during a verbal brawl between the leaders in the Oval Office on Friday, as the U.S. administration threatened to abandon Ukraine and accused its President of not being grateful.
The meeting was meant to be a crucial opportunity for Mr. Zelensky to regain support from what was once one of its biggest backers in its fight against Russia’s continuing invasion. The two countries had planned on signing a critical-minerals deal and holding a news conference. But those plans were derailed after the fiery and tense press availability between the leaders.
The heated exchange began after Mr. Trump pointed out that Mr. Zelensky has a lot of hatred for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Vice-President interjected to say that Mr. Trump was trying to engage Russia diplomatically. This prompted Mr. Zelensky to remind him that Russia invaded and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014, killing his citizens, and that nobody stopped him. He said a ceasefire deal was signed in 2019 and Mr. Putin broke it.
Mr. Vance told Mr. Zelensky that it was disrespectful for him to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate the issue in front of the American media. Mr. Zelensky attempted to defend himself. “First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you,” he said. “But you have [a] nice ocean and don’t feel [it] now, but you will feel it in the future.” Mr. Trump, however, didn’t allow Mr. Zelensky to finish his point, instead snapping at him and saying “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
Mr. Trump told him that “you’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now.”
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III,” Mr. Trump said, adding that what he is doing is “very disrespectful” to the U.S.
Moments later, as the men continued to speak over one another, a reporter asked what happens if Russia breaks the ceasefire. “What if anything? What if the bomb drops on your head right now? Ok. What if they broke it? I don’t know,” Mr. Trump said, adding that Mr. Putin didn’t respect former U.S. presidents, but he respects him.
Mr. Trump told Mr. Zelensky that he empowered him to be a “tough guy” but he didn’t think he would be tough without the United States.
“You’re either gonna make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out,” said Mr. Trump.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be pretty, but you’ll fight it out. But you don’t have the cards, but 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.”
Mr. Zelensky left the White House after the confrontation and did not sign the anticipated deal on natural resources.
Mr. Trump subsequently posted a statement on the Truth Social platform, accusing Mr. Zelensky of being disrespectful, and saying he can come back when he’s ready for peace. “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure.”
For his part, Mr. Zelensky thanked Mr. Trump, the American people and Congress for the visit, in a post on X, writing, “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
Later on Friday, Mr. Trump said he wanted the war in Ukraine to end “immediately.”
“You saw what I saw today,” Mr. Trump said as he left the White House to head to his home in Florida. “This is a man that wants to get us signed up and keep fighting. We’re not doing that.”
Mr. Zelensky told Fox News that nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. He said that even if he ordered the military to stop fighting, “nobody will just stop” because everyone is fearful that “Putin will come back tomorrow.”
He said the confrontation with Mr. Trump was “not good for both sides” but thinks their relationship can be repaired.
Ukrainian member of parliament Inna Sovsun told The Globe and Mail that across Ukraine everyone is in shock.
“We did not expect that level of hostility from Trump. We do not understand what is the reason for him behaving in such a manner to the country that is the victim of the aggression while being all nice and friendly to the aggressor himself,” she said.
Ms. Sovsun said she hopes the conversation between Ukraine and the U.S. continues, saying that, at the end of the day, she believes they stand for the same values. Now is a critical time, she said, to understand what other countries will do to support Ukraine.
“We are reading words of support from multiple European countries. However words of support will not save lives here in Ukraine and we very much hope there will be a stronger reaction from the European side.”
Leaders around the world shared their support for Ukraine after the meeting. German CDU Leader Friedrich Merz, set to become the country’s next chancellor, said on X that “We stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times.” French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Mr. Trump earlier this week, posted on X: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a people who are under attack: Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on X that Russia “illegally and unjustifiably invaded Ukraine. For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience. Their fight for democracy, freedom and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all. Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace.”
Mr. Trudeau will travel to London this weekend to attend a European defence summit seeking to set the conditions toward peace in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in Russia, officials celebrated the confrontation. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Mr. Zelensky got a “solid slap” from Mr. Trump.
Florian Gassner, a University of British Columbia associate professor who has lived in eastern Ukraine and specializes in Ukrainian studies, said the big question is what happens to the Ukrainian militarily if the U.S. drops its support.
The U.S. has been a critical supplier of traditional armaments, including shells and large-calibre guns. Ukraine, however, has largely built up its domestic manufacture of drones. And Europe now provides roughly half of the country’s financial backing. Nonetheless, a major rupture in U.S. support for Ukraine would constitute “the only lifeline that Putin could have gotten. And the Americans are giving it to him for free,” he said.
Ahead of his meeting with Mr. Trump, Mr. Zelensky met with a group of bipartisan senators that included Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrats Chris Coons and Amy Klobuchar. Earlier, Mr. Graham posted a video on X, saying he met with Mr. Zelensky and describing him as excited. “This is Donald Trump, the deal maker and peace maker on display,” he said.
After the eruption in the Oval Office, Mr. Graham told reporters that Mr. Zelensky had to either change or resign.
The U.S., before Mr. Trump took office, had been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, having provided billions of dollars’ worth of military aid that the country has needed to fend off Russian advances.
Mr. Trump repeatedly said during the election campaign that he would end the war in a day, but never said how.
With reports from Nathan Vanderklippe, Steven Chase, Robert Fife, Reuters and AP