Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky wouldn’t concede the point. A tense Oval Office meeting Friday that was supposed to end in Ukraine agreeing to share mining resources with the U.S. devolved into a heated argument as President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance insisted Ukraine should express more gratitude for U.S. support and agree to a ceasefire with Russia, even without clear security guarantees from the U.S.
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“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump told Zelensky, as the two interrupted each other during a forceful exchange in front of TV cameras.Â
“We’re not playing cards,” Zelensky said. The leader of war-torn Ukraine repeatedly interrupted Trump and insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted, noting he had already broken ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreements. Zelensky said that if the U.S. walks away from Ukraine, U.S. security would be more at risk from an emboldened Russia.
Trump bristled at Zelensky pushing back and his voice became sharper. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump said.
It was a scene unlike any before seen by the public in the Oval Office. Usually in such appearances, two world leaders smile for the cameras and shake hands for the press. The tough negotiations typically happen away from the cameras. But the simmering tensions between the two leaders boiled over in full view.
Shortly after, Trump cut off negotiations, writing on Truth Social that Zelensky had “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”Â
