The major mineral agreement with Ukraine and the signature of a scheduled press conference by President Trump and Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky on Friday were suddenly cancelled, and the visit of Ukrainian leaders was shortened after an oval office meeting where Vice President JD Vance was in shaming and chaos.
The Ukrainians then left the oval office to head for a “separated room,” while the US team remained in the oval office, White House officials said. While the Ukrainians waited in the other rooms, national security advisers Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them to leave. Officials said Zelenskyy was trying to smooth things out and wanted a reset, but Trump and other administration officials were angry at Zelenskyy’s actions.
Controversial meetings It exposed a serious rift between the US and Ukraine, and when Trump pressed him to agree to end the war that Russia began, it overturned a planned signature of rare mineral trade between the two countries. During the meeting, Trump threatened Zelenskyy with Russia or “we’re out,” and Vance accused Ukrainian leaders of being “disrespectful.”
After Vance said in the course of the meeting that he reached this point due to the Biden administration’s actions, the meeting turned into tense interactions and said it was time for diplomacy.
Zelenskyy challenged Vance on this point, noting that there were other ceasefire deals in which Russian President Vladimir Putin was broken. During Trump’s administration, Putin violated the Minsk ceasefire agreement signed by both Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky noted that he had signed a contract with Putin for the prisoner’s exchanges, but “but he didn’t do that.”
“What diplomacy, JD, you’re talking,” Zelensky asked Vance.
Vance countered that it was “disrespectful” for Zelensky to “sue” his case in front of the American media.
“We should thank the president for trying to end this conflict,” Vance told Zelensky.
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Zelenskyy asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine.
Vance said he watched a video of what happened in Ukraine and accused Zelensky of bringing people on a “propaganda tour” when he visited Ukraine.
“Do you think it’s respectful to come to the elliptical offices of the United States and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” Vance asked.
Zelenskyy noted that for now the US is being pulled away from the fight at sea, saying, “You don’t feel it now, but you’ll feel it in the future.”
“You don’t know that,” Trump insisted. “You don’t know that. You don’t tell us what we are trying to feel. You’re trying to solve the problem. You don’t tell us what we are feeling, because you’re not in a position to direct it.
“I don’t have a card right now,” Trump said. “With us, you start holding cards. Now you don’t have your playing cards, your playing cards – you are gambling with millions of people.” You are gambling with World War II. You are gambling with World War II. ”
“Have you ever said ‘Thank you’, this whole meeting? No, did you say ‘Thank you’ during this whole meeting,” Vance said.
Zelensky maintained a measured tone throughout the exchange, even as Trump and Vance occasionally spoke out for them.
“Please,” Zelensky said. “If you talk very loudly about war, you think so –“
Trump cut off Zelensky and said his country was in “big trouble,” but “you could be fine for us.”
Zelensky said his country has continued to grow stronger since the beginning of the war, and the Ukrainians are grateful.
“It’s going to be very difficult to do business like this,” Trump said. Vance cried out Zelensky again, “Thank you!”
Trump said it’s “good” for Americans to see what’s going on.
“We have to be grateful,” Trump said. “You don’t have a card. You are buried there, people are dying, you are running the soldiers low.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine hopes to end the war, but must have security guarantees along with all sorts of ceasefire contracts.
In the midst of the chaos, the reporter asked – what happens if Russia violates a ceasefire?
“If there was?” replied Trump. “What if the bomb just fell on my head?
Early in their meeting, before it intensified, Zelensky said negotiations cannot involve just a ceasefire talk as Trump seeks a ceasefire agreement without including security guarantees.
“Just Ceasefire isn’t going well,” Zelenskyy said.
“But he never broke me,” Trump said.
White House officials said Ukrainians had “been difficult to negotiate for quite some time (quite a) long time,” and the debate in the oval office was a “trend point.” The mineral trade would have been “the first step towards lasting peace,” but Zelensky “overvalued his card.”
The meeting was very poor and after that, Trump continued to criticize Zelensky on social media, saying he was “not ready for peace.”
“We held a very meaningful meeting at the White House today,” Trump wrote about the true society. “There were many things that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It was amazing to see it coming through emotions, and when the US was involved, President Zelensky decided he was not ready for peace.
Zelenskyy was found leaving the White House at 1:41pm
After his team was told to leave the White House, Zelensky was posted to X: “Thanks to America for their support. Thank you for this visit. Thank you to @potus, Congress and the Americans. Ukraine needs justice and peace.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to speak at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Friday afternoon, but Zelenskyy’s office informed them that he was not coming, according to the event organizers.
Things you need to know about Zelenskyy’s White House visit
Earlier this week, Trump said the US had signed a contract with Zelensky within a broad framework for sharing in Ukraine. Mineral Resourcesand Ukrainian leaders came to the White House because they “want to sign with me.” Mineral negotiations continued despite recent public tensions between the two leaders. Trump seemed to blame Ukraine for the war that Russia started and called Zelensky a “dictator,” but refused to say the same thing as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One Ukrainian official told CBS News Kiev that he hopes that the signing of the contract will ensure the ongoing flow of security support Ukraine needs. Trump said Thursday that the deal will help U.S. taxpayers pay back Ukraine over the past three years.
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“Peace and security guarantees are key to ensuring that Russia cannot destroy the lives of other countries,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X Wednesday. He said, “It’s important for me and all of us in the world that US support will not stop. We need strength to the path to peace.”
Trump spoke with Putin earlier this month, saying that Russian leaders hope to end the war. Last week, the president said he trusted Russia to negotiate in good faith as the Trump administration’s chief executive met with Saudi Russian negotiators without a Ukrainian representative. The president on Thursday said he believes he will follow the peace deal Putin has reached.
“I don’t think he’s violating what he says,” Trump said.
Last week Trump “Divineer” called Zelenskyy, It mentions the fact that the five-year term of Ukrainian leadership expired last year and no new elections have been held. Ukraine took place under martial law soon after the war began in 2022, and the constitution prohibits elections during martial law. On Monday, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump was asked if he viewed Putin as a dictator, calling Zelensky.
“I don’t use those words lightly. I think I’ll see how everything works,” he replied. “Let’s see what happens.”
Trump has put Kiev accountable for the Russian invasion.
“You’d never started it, you could have made a deal,” Trump said of Ukraine last week.
The Trump administration’s chief executive is also reluctant to criticize Putin. National security adviser Mike Waltz did not respond directly when reporters asked him whether Trump viewed Putin as a dictator. He also shunned questions about who would take more responsibility for the war, Russia, or Ukraine.
Referring to Trump, Waltz replied, “His goal here is to end this war.”
The president frequently talks about war It would never have started If he was president, not Joe Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to end the war between Russia and Ukraine before taking office.
“A horrific war between Russia and Ukraine will be resolved shortly after winning the presidency, before they arrive at the oval office,” Trump said at a rally in June. “I’ll settle it before I become president.”
However, after winning the election, Trump suggested that reaching peace between Russia and Ukraine could be more difficult than building peace in the Middle East.
“In fact, the more difficult situation will be with the Russian Ukraine,” Trump said in December. “I think that’s even more difficult.”
Earlier this week, Zelensky said he would give up the presidency if he achieved enduring peace in Ukraine and NATO membership.
“To achieve peace, you really need to give up on my post, I’m ready,” Zelensky said at a forum commemorating the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
