WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s meeting Friday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly devolved into a testy exchange, with the Ukrainian leader casting doubt on the likelihood U.S. efforts to broker a deal with Russia would yield lasting peace.
The effort by Zelenskyy inspired an angry response from Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who suggested his criticism — delivered in the Oval Office — was disrespectful and that his absolutist view toward Moscow was inhibiting negotiations that could end the bloody three-year war.
“It’s going to be very hard to do business like this,” Trump said, telling Zelenskyy he was not sure the Ukrainian leader could make a deal. “You’ve got to be more thankful, because let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards, but without us you don’t have any cards.”
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country,” the U.S. president added.
THE SHARP encounter quickly overshadowed what was supposed to be a moment of unity between the leaders, who are set to sign an agreement later Friday allowing the U.S. to unlock future revenue from developing Ukraine’s natural resources.
Trump had touted the agreement as a major commitment from the U.S. to Ukraine as he initially welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House for a high-stakes meeting with stark implications for the fight to repel Russia’s invasion and for European allies worried about U.S. commitments to collective security.
“It’s a pathway to peace. It’s a pathway to getting something solved,” Trump said.
Still, the deal fails to offer the explicit security guarantees Zelenskyy had wanted, instead focusing on the economic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly violated previous ceasefire agreements and that Ukraine would never accept a simple ceasefire to conclude the war. He insisted to Trump that the mineral deal was not enough to ensure Ukraine’s security.
“Putin will never stop and will go further and further,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the Russian leader “hates Ukrainians” and wanted to destroy the country. “We can do it, but it’s not enough,” he added of the deal.
THE UNDERLYING tension between the leaders was obvious. Trump had his eyes closed and was tapping his fingers as Zelenskyy stressed his concerns about Putin reneging on an agreement. When Trump downplayed the threat of a future attack, the Ukrainian leader shook his head.
“I’m in the middle. I want to solve this thing. I’m for both,” Trump insisted. “I want to get it solved. And it’s wonderful to speak badly about somebody else, but I want to get it solved.”
Then, the meeting exploded when Vance, sitting nearby, criticized Zelenskyy’s approach.
“Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that’s trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” Vance asked.
Trump said Zelenskyy had “tremendous hatred” for Putin and suggested that the anger could be inhibiting a deal, while also defending his warm relations with the Russian leader as more likely to yield results.
