Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had high expectations for his meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House, emphasizing in the past the importance of meeting before Trump’s discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, it seems that Ukrainian hopes for a shift in the Trump administration’s approach toward Ukraine were completely dashed on Friday evening. The diplomatic summit surrounding the mineral agreement turned into a loud exchange of accusations and harsh, disparaging remarks, culminating in Zelensky effectively being shown the door at the White House.
Explosive argument between Trump and Zelensky
Trump has recently displayed a hostile attitude toward Zelensky, even referring to him as a "dictator." Although the two exchanged a handshake upon Zelensky’s arrival in Washington, tensions quickly escalated, and the strained relationship between the two leaders came to the surface.
“You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out,” Trump angrily told Zelensky. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s gonna be pretty, but you’ll fight it out. 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.”
Trump added, “Your country is in big trouble. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers. Listen, you’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing if you could get a ceasefire right now. I tell you, you’d take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed. Of course, we want to stop the war, but I’m saying you don’t want a ceasefire, do you?”
At the height of the argument, the two began speaking over each other, and Trump used the moment to take a jab at his predecessor, Joe Biden: “That wasn’t with me. That was with a guy named Biden, who was not a smart person. That was, excuse me, that was with Obama who gave you sheets, and I gave you javelins to take out all those tanks. Obama gave you sheets. In fact, the statement is Obama gave sheets, and Trump gave javelins.”
Zelensky retorted dismissively, “In three days—I’ve heard that from Putin.”
Trump responded, “It’s going to be very hard to do business like this. I'd just say thank you.”
During the argument, Trump also said, “You’re not showing any gratitude at all. That’s not nice. I’ll be honest—it’s not nice.” He further mocked Zelensky in a dismissive tone, saying, “Then you’ll say, ‘I don’t want a ceasefire, I don’t want a ceasefire! I want to go and I want this.’”
Shortly thereafter, Trump addressed the media: “I think we’ve seen enough. What do you think? Uh, this is gonna be great television, I will say that.”
Following the meeting, Trump posted an official statement on his X account (formerly Twitter): “We had a significant meeting at the White House. I recognized that Zelensky is not ready for peace if America is involved because he believes our involvement gives him a huge advantage in negotiations. I don’t want an advantage—I want peace. He demonstrated disrespect toward the United States in the Oval Office. He can return when he’s ready for peace.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who was also present at the meeting, likewise accused Zelensky of disrespect. Zelensky responded, “I signed a ceasefire in 2019, but Putin violated it and launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. What diplomacy are you talking about, J.D.?”
Vance replied, “I think it’s disrespectful of you to come into the Oval Office and try to debate this in front of the American media.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
This difficult meeting came despite a relatively positive statement from Zelensky beforehand, in which he claimed he “thought Trump was on their side.” The Ukrainian president demanded that Trump “not compromise with a murderer,” referring, of course, to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who started the war with Ukraine.
The mineral agreement discussed in recent days would allow the United States access to Ukrainian minerals but does not provide a security guarantee in return, a disappointment for Ukraine. Trump, however, argues that American business involvement would provide a form of security guarantee.
Zelensky had hoped to use the meeting with Trump and his visit to Washington to bolster American support, which has shifted since the change in administration. Under President Biden, Ukraine received billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition from the United States. Trump, on the other hand, seeks to reclaim the funds provided as support to Ukraine and bring an end to the war while strengthening U.S.-Russia relations.
“I hope to be remembered as the one who brought peace,” Trump said, praising Ukrainian soldiers for their bravery. The American president made it clear to his Ukrainian counterpart that “the United States wants to bring the war to an end and invest the funds in other priorities like rebuilding efforts.”
Before the meeting, Trump told the media that a ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia was close and described the upcoming mineral deal as very fair. According to the agreement, Ukraine would transfer 50% of the revenues from government-owned minerals to a reconstruction fund jointly managed by American and Ukrainian ownership. The agreement, however, does not specify exactly how these funds will be used.