The day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, Donald Trump told reporters, “I think we’re going to have a very good meeting tomorrow.” The Republican president added, in reference to his Ukrainian counterpart, “I have a lot of respect for him.”
A day later, that “respect” for Zelenskyy was in short supply during an Oval Office meeting that turned unexpectedly ugly. NBC News reported:
A White House meeting that was intended to kick off negotiations over a deal that would offer the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals unraveled Friday afternoon as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
Americans are generally accustomed to seeing presidents sit down in the Oval Office for cordial and respectful diplomatic gatherings. This was far closer to a contentious shouting match than a friendly gathering among ostensible allies.
Following a great many scandalous steps in which Trump effectively positioned his administration on Russia’s side of the ongoing conflict, expectations were low ahead of the White House gathering. The developments in the Oval Office, however, failed to clear a low bar.
The trouble seemed to begin in earnest when Vance argued that diplomacy would lead to peace, at which point the Ukrainian president reminded the vice president that Vladimir Putin’s Russia had ignored earlier diplomatic agreements.
“He killed our people, and he didn’t exchange prisoners,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Putin. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?”
At that point, Vance suggested the Ukrainian president was being “disrespectful” by saying things that were true.
ZELENSKYY: Putin broke the ceasefire. What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?VANCE: I think it's disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-02-28T17:44:40.424Z
The discussion, for lack of a better word, descended from there.
When Zelenskyy explained, for example, that the United States would likely feel the effects of Russian aggression in the future, Trump snapped back, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel because you’re in no position to dictate that.” Raising his voice, the Republican added, “You’re not in a good position. … You’re gambling with World War III.”
Trump to Zelenskyy: "Don't tell us what we're gonna feel. You're in no position to dictate that. You're in no position to dictate what we're gonna feel. We're gonna feel very good and very strong. You're right now not in a very good position. You're gambling with World War 3."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-02-28T17:47:31.112Z
In case that weren’t quite enough, the American president added, “I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy. And I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States. And your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out.”
As the event neared its end, Trump told Zelenskyy, “You’re not acting at all thankful and that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest, that’s not a nice thing.”
Soon after, Trump published a written statement to his social media platform that read in part, “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
The president’s words are often open to some interpretation, though it’s difficult to see such a statement and conclude that the White House is prepared to stand with the United States’ allies in Ukraine.
Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming wrote in a statement of her own, “Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day — when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”
A couple of weeks ago, after Trump made a series of moves favored by the Kremlin, former White House national security adviser John Bolton — who served at Trump’s side for a year and a half — told CNN, “They’re drinking vodka straight out of the bottle in the Kremlin tonight. It was a great day for Moscow.”
Today was another great day for Moscow.
