Sparks flew at the White House Friday as both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” during a testy exchange in front of reporters in the Oval Office. The president warned Zelenskyy that he “doesn’t have any cards to play” and risked starting “World War III” by resisting a peace deal with Russia. Trump and Vance also chastised Zelenskyy for never thanking the United States for all the its assistance.
The White House meeting was focused in part on a potential bilateral deal on Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, which are used to make a variety of tech products.
Zelenskyy has reportedly warned that the deal will fail if the U.S. does not adequately provide for Ukraine’s future security against Russia.
The heated exchange began when Zelenskyy told Trump that he and his friends in Poland were concerned that the United States was aligning itself “too much with Putin,” and asked the president what his message was to those people.
Trump responded that if he didn’t align himself with both sides, they would “never have a deal” to end the war.
Jokingly, the president added, “you want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say ‘hi Vladimir, how are we doing on the deal?’ It doesn’t work that way!”
Trump continued, saying: “I’m not aligned with 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!”
The president told reporters he just wanted “to get this thing over with” but it was difficult because of the intense hatred Zelenskyy has for Putin.
“It’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate,” he lamented.
Vice President J.D. Vance chimed in at this point, pointing out that the United States of America for the past four years, had a president who talked tough about Vladimir Putin “and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country.”
Vance continued: “The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. We tried the pathway of Joe Biden thumping his chest and pretending that the president of the United States’ words mattered more than the president of the United States’ actions.
Vance argued that “what makes the U.S. a good country is America engaging in diplomacy.”
Zelenskyy argued back that Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine goes back to 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine during the Obama era. “During 2014, no one stopped Putin. He just occupied and took. He killed people, he said, adding that from 2014 until 2022 no one stopped Putin. The Ukraine president also noted that he signed a ceasefire agreement with Putin in 2019 and Putin violated it in 2022 when he invaded.
Zelenskyy challenged Vance to explain “what kind of diplomacy” would work with an adversary like Putin.”
Vance shot back, “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that will end the destruction of your country.”
As Zelenskyy was responding, Vance interjected, “Mr. Zelenskyy, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Sitting in his chair with his arms folded defensively across his chest, Zelenskyy challenged Vance: “Have you been to Ukraine that you [can] say what problems we have?”
The vice president responded that he is well aware of the stories and knew that if he were to visit the Ukraine, he would just be given a “propaganda tour.”
“Do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people into your military?” Vance asked the Ukraine president testily. “And do you think it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?”
Zelenskyy, his arms still folded defensively, responded that during war “everybody has problems,” including the United States which is protected by “a nice ocean.” But he warned that the U.S. “will feel it it the future.”
At this point, Trump jumped in and said, “you don’t know that.” And as Zelenskyy tried to respond, Trump angrily snapped, “don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
“We’re trying to solve a problem,” Trump continued irritably. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
Clearly agitated, the president added: “You are in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel.”
The president went on to tell Zelenskyy “You’re right now, not in a very good position … you’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.
Trump continued talking over Zelenskyy as he tried to respond, saying “you don’t have the cards right now,” but “with us you have cards.”
Raising his voice, Trump added: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III!”
“You’re gambling with World War III and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country,” Trump stressed.
“Have you ever said thank you once?” Vance asked the Ukraine president a moment later. Trump added: “You have to be thankful, you don’t have the cards. You’re buried there.”
“You’re not acting at all thankful,” the U.S. president said.
According to the Associated Press, Trump “abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S” and Zelesnkyy “left the White House shortly after Trump shouted at him, showing open disdain.”
Untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room, where the lunch between Trump and Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have taken place. The White House said the Ukraine delegation was told to leave.
The Ukraine later posted on X: Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
In an earlier post on X, Zelenskyy said he had also met with a bipartisan group of senators ahead of his meeting with Trump and Vance.
“We take pride in having strategic partners and friends like the United States,” Zelenskyy posted. “We are grateful for the unwavering bicameral and bipartisan support for Ukraine throughout all three years of Russia’s full-scale aggression.”