Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “Gambling with World War I Third War” after the US president trimmed the long meeting of Ukrainian leader at the White House and told him to return “when ready for peace”.
In a joint appearance at the Oval office on Friday, both executives clashed even before their official meeting, such as the Ukrainian President’s offer to improve tense links with spectacularly returned Washington.
Raising his voice in Zelenskyy, who had repeatedly referred to his need for American security guarantees, Trump said: “You don’t have the cards now.. You are playing with the lives of millions. You are playing with World War I third.”
The US president, who has hit his Ukrainian counterpart many times in recent weeks, released Zelenskyy with an ultimatum, saying he would “make a deal (in the war), or we are out”.
The extraordinary clash questioned the next course of any attempt to end the three -year war. While Trump has pushed for a quick deal with Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv has said that no agreement would be sustainable without security support from the US
A few minutes after the cameras were taken out, in a statement announcing the demolition of the White House talks, Trump wrote: “President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved because he thinks our involvement gives him a great advantage in negotiations.”
He added: “I don’t want an advantage, I want peace. He did not respect the United States of America in her beloved Oval office. He can return when he is ready for peace.
On Friday afternoon, Zelenskyy wrote 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 right and lasting peace, and we are working exactly on this. “
During the meeting of the Oval Office, Vice President JD Vance had criticized Zelenskyy, saying he had not been very grateful for the support of the Trump administration.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday afternoon, the Republican Senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham said Zelenskyy should withdraw if he was not ready to work with the administration.
“He must either resign and send someone we can do business, or he has to change,” Graham said.
The fiery dispute shocked the Ukrainians, who had expected to see the signing of a mineral agreement that Zelenskyy had hoped would help move a major ally closer to providing guarantees that could strengthen a future ceasefire.
A person with Zelenskyy at the Oval office told Financial Times that the meeting had ended without signing the deal.
The war in the Oval Office captures a tremendous week in which the US has leanned with Russia, China and countries like North Korea and Belarus in KB against historical allies such as the United Kingdom and France.
European officials were aggressive in scenes from the Oval office, with a senior diplomat concluding that “we are ourselves” and describing the Trump administration as “unworthy”.
“Finally we have to wake up and understand,” This is, “the diplomat added.
During the dispute, the Ukrainian ambassador to Washington Oksana Markarova was seen closing his eyes, falling his head and grasping the nose bridge as the argument escalated.
Zelenskyy said previous discussions with President Vladimir Putin, starting after the 2014 annexation of Crimea, had failed to stop Russia from attacking Ukraine again.
“He broke the ceasefire, he killed our people,” Zelenskyy said. “For what kind of diplomacy are you looking for?” He said, in a response to Vance comments that the US was proving diplomacy.
“Since the beginning of the war, we have been alone,” Zelenskyy added.
He was rebuked by Vance, who asked, “Do you think it is respect for coming to the United States Oval office and attack the administration that is trying to prevent your country’s destruction?”
The Ukrainian leader replied, “During the war, everyone has problems, even you, but you have (a) beautiful ocean and do not feel (it) now, but you will feel it in the future.” Trump replied Zelenskyy was not “in any position to dictate what we would feel.”
Trump and Vance crushed zelenskyy to thank the US. “You’re not winning. You are not winning that. You have a good cursed chance to go out in order, because of us, ”Trump said.
Zelenskyy had sought a place at the negotiation table after Trump blinded Kyiv and other European capitals, starting direct talks with Putin to end the conflict.
Leaders were also set to sign a mineral agreement to create a common American-American “Investment Fund” by receiving half of all the income from “earning future money” of natural resources owned by Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s visit to the US followed appeals by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron to lobby Trump to secure a US “background” for European peacekeepers in Ukraine after they were over.
Trump also refused to promise US troops as Starmer and Zelenskyy had hoped.
On Friday, Macron said: “I believe we have the right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and continue to do so.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and António Costa, President of the European Council, said: “Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be untreated. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy.”
Additional reporting by Henry Foy in Brussels and Leila Abboud in Paris
