Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky's White House meeting descended into a furious shouting match on Friday with the US president accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of "gambling with World War 3".

What began as a cordial diplomatic encounter quickly deteriorated into an extraordinary public row.

The Ukrainian leader came to Washington seeking security guarantees amid Russia's ongoing war.

Instead, he faced vocal anger from the American president and Vice President JD Vance in front of the world's media.

The meeting began with typical diplomatic niceties between the two leaders with Trump initially reaffirming continued military assistance for Ukraine."

I hope I'll be known and recognized as a peacemaker," Trump said several times in the Oval Office.

But the cordial atmosphere quickly evaporated as discussions progressed.

Journalists in the room reported that the talks "ended in an outright shouting match".

One described the scene as the two sides "yelling at each other in the Oval Office in something I've never witnessed in eight years at the White House".

Trump repeatedly told Zelensky: "You're not in good position right now.

"You're gambling with the lives of millions of people.

"You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel. You don't have the cards right now."