Friday’s high-stakes White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr devolved into a stunning, extraordinary scene: a heated Oval Office shouting match in front of news cameras, as the two leaders, egged on by a combative Vice President JD Vance, let their pent-up diplomatic frustrations and personal animosities burst into the open.
Ahead of a planned signing of a deal on rare earth minerals, Trump and Vance berated Zelensky and accused him of being disrespectful and not thankful enough for the aid the United States has provided.
Zelensky tried to argue in response that Trump and Vance were putting too much trust in diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin and underestimating the threat that Russia could ultimately pose to the United States and globally. That set Trump off. “You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump told the Ukrainian leader. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.”
Trump ended the session by laying down an apparent ultimatum. “I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States,” Trump said. “You’re either going 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 then followed up with a lengthy statement posted to his Truth Social site:
“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. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
A planned joint news conference with Trump and Zelensky was abruptly cancelled, and the Ukrainian delegation was reportedly told to leave the White House without signing the minerals deal.
In a social media post after leaving the White House, Zelensky thanked Trump, Congress and the American people. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he said.
What it all means: This was a diplomatic disaster that’s likely to have historic repercussions. As Trump and Vance embrace Moscow’s talking points and pivot away from Zelensky, future U.S. funding and support for the war against Russian aggression appear to be in grave doubt — Trump reportedly may halt all military aid to Ukraine.
The White House and its allies are trying to tout the clash as a sign of Trump’s strength. European leaders, meanwhile, quickly expressed support for Ukraine. “We stand by Ukraine,” wrote Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief and vice president of the European Commission, in one of many similar posts. “We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor [SIC]. Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
Zelensky and some European leaders will be holding a summit on Sunday to discuss their next steps, but for now Putin must surely be celebrating.