A tense meeting took place on Friday between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, where Trump expressed frustration at Zelenskyy’s perceived lack of gratitude for U.S. support. Trump claimed, “you’re not acting at all thankful” and warned, “you’re gambling with World War III.”
Zelenskyy was in Washington to finalize an agreement that would grant the U.S. access to critical and rare earth minerals from Ukraine. Trump confirmed that the two leaders planned to sign the deal during a later event at the White House.
The dialogue between the leaders grew heated, with Trump stating, “Gonna be a tough deal to make, because the attitudes have to change.” Tensions escalated when Vice President Vance accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the meeting by trying to “litigate this in front of the American media.”
Zelenskyy countered, “Have you ever been to Ukraine? Have you seen the problems we have? Come once.” He added, “Everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now. But you will feel it in the future.”
This altercation occurred at the end of a lengthy press Q&A, during which Trump defended his diplomatic efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’m not aligned with anybody. I’m aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I’m aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with,” Trump stated.
Vice President Vance backed Trump’s stance, describing it as “diplomacy,” a comment that prompted Zelenskyy to recount how Putin had previously violated agreements. Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of attempting to sway American media, suggesting he was engaged in propaganda while campaigning for Democrats in Pennsylvania, and labeled him ungrateful.
“Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country, please,” Vance urged, highlighting the emotional intensity surrounding the meeting.
