Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s Oval Office shouting match shocks world
Donald Trump has eviscerated the president of Ukraine after they clashed in a heated White House meeting, after which Volodymyr Zelensky apologised but not to the US leader.
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Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s relationship has imploded in a shouting match that saw the Ukrainian President booted from the White House and heightened fears the US would abandon its ally in its war against Russia.
Their first meeting since the US President returned to power descended into a stunning slanging match unlike anything ever seen in the Oval Office, with Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance complaining Mr Zelensky was not thankful enough for America’s aid.
In the wake of the fiery confrontation, which was broadcast live on TV, Mr Trump cancelled the remainder of the wartime leader’s visit.
He said he could “come back when he is ready for peace”, claiming only Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to end the war.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” a furious Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky before the world’s media in The Oval Office, as a meeting that was meant to ease tensions over the sudden US outreach to Russia ended up inflaming them.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country,” Mr Trump added.
Mr Zelensky was at the White House to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine’s mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia, despite the US president recently branding his Ukrainian counterpart a dictator.
The leaders argued about whether the US had failed to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin after the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the situation became increasingly tense.
“You’re not acting at all thankful,” said Mr Trump.
“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” said Mr Trump. “It’s going to be a tough deal to make because the attitudes have to change.”
The argument seems to have been spurred by Vice President JD Vance who accused Mr Zelensky of being disrespectful to Mr Trump while in the White House.
Mr Zelensky had arrived at the White House hopeful of reaching a security agreement with President Trump over Ukraine, as well as signing a rare earth minerals partnership deal between the two countries.
Instead, Ukraine’s leader left the White House shortly after Mr Trump raised his voice and berated him.
ALBANESE BACKS ZELENSKY
World leaders including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rallied behind Mr Zelensky as he faced the prospect of Mr Trump withholding a US security guarantee to prevent the Kremlin breaking any peace deal and doubling down on its illegal invasion.
Mr Zelensky, speaking on Fox News after the extraordinary clash, said he was thankful for America’s support in the three-year war but added: “I’m not sure that we did something bad”.
He and Mr Trump had spoken relatively politely for about half an hour in the meeting that was designed to reset relations after the US President called him a dictator and tried to strongarm him into signing away Ukraine’s critical minerals to repay the US for its support.
But the talks collapsed when Mr Vance praised Mr Trump for “engaging in diplomacy” to find a pathway to peace, prompting Mr Zelensky to interject and remind them that world leaders including the US President failed to curb Russia’s aggression before its full-scale invasion.
Mr Vance called him “disrespectful” and asked him: “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
“You’re right now not really in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position,” Mr Trump chimed in.
“You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
Mr Zelensky replied: “I’m not playing cards.” The US President then accused him of “gambling with the lives of millions of people” and “gambling with World War III”.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Mr Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
Moments after the meltdown, which the US President said would make “great television”, his officials told Mr Zelensky and his team to leave the White House. They cancelled a press conference and scrapped plans to sign a deal sharing Ukraine’s critical minerals with the US.
Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian President of having “disrespected the United States of America”. He claimed he “very much overplayed his hand” and wanted to “fight, fight, fight”.
“I want immediate peace. President Putin … he wants to end it. You saw what I saw today: this is a man that wants to get us signed up and keep fighting, and we’re not doing that,” he said.
ZELENSKY APOLOGISES, BUT NOT TO TRUMP
Zelensky later apologised to the American people for the disagreement, in an interview with Fox News that had been previously scheduled. However he declined to apologise to President Trump himself, as leading Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he should.
Graham has been a long-time supported of Zelensky and Ukraine when Biden was in power and met with him before he visited Trump at the White House.
“We are thankful, we are sorry for this, we want to have strong relations,” Zelensky told Fox News’ Bret Baier when asked if he felt he needed to apologise to Trump.
“I respect the US president and the US people. I’m not sure we [Trump, Vance and Zelensky] did something bad. But we have to do things outside the media.
“I think this kind of spat is not good for both sides. I’m always open to the media but these were very sensitive discussions. It was a very tough situation, very honest, very direct.”
In an at times rambling inteview that went for around 10 minutes, Zelensky claimed he wanted the US to offer security guarantees in return for a minerals deal. Something he said the US was not willing to offer right now.
“We want step-by-step security guarantees. We want to share plans with the President. Does he [Trump] have a plan to stop Putin? We have to have a lasting peace.”
Zelensky again called for Ukraine to join NATO but pushed back when asked if he would step down as President if it meant a peace deal could be finalised.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” he said.
Zelensky claimed Europe was willing to ‘finance bigger armies’ and that he realised he would not get “a big volume of new support from the US”.
However he said the ugly disagreement, would not hinder longer term relations between the US and Ukraine.
“We do not want to lose our great partners in the US,” Zelensky said.
“Of course [we will be OK]. It’s a relationship between more than two presidents. It’s strong historic relations between our countries and our people.”
‘SO SENSITIVE FOR OUR PEOPLE’
Mr Zelensky also told Fox News: “We are ready for peace but we have to be in a strong position.”
“Just a ceasefire without security guarantees, it’s so sensitive for our people … Everybody is afraid that Putin will come back tomorrow. We want just and lasting peace,” he said.
Asked if his relationship with Mr Trump could be mended, the Ukrainian President said “of course”, but he added that he did not know if the extraordinary argument was an ambush.
He rejected Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s call for him to consider standing down and refused Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s demand for him to apologise.
The New York Post later reported Mr Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg had urged Mr Zelensky to sign the now-deferred critical minerals deal in Ukraine last week but that his chief of staff had instead insisted on locking it in during a visit to the White House.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was among the world leaders to defend Mr Zelensky, telling him: “Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people.”
“Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who had lobbied Mr Trump for a US backstop in any European-led peace agreement, maintained Russia was the aggressor and Ukraine was the victim “fighting for their dignity, their independence, their children, and the security of Europe.
Mr Albanese said Australia would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in the face of Mr Putin’s “imperialistic designs” on eastern Europe.
“I am responsible for Australia’s foreign policy, and Australia’s foreign policy is determined by Australia, and we stand unequivocally with Ukraine in their struggle because we regard that as a struggle for the upholding of international law,” he said.
As Russia celebrated the shocking split between allies, Trump administration officials suggested all US military aid to Ukraine could be cancelled immediately.
‘HE HAS TO WANT PEACE’: TRUMP
In comments to the press in front of the White House, hours after the argument on his way to Florida, President Trump was asked how Zelensky could kick start peace talks.
“He has to want peace,” Trump said.
“He doesn’t have to stand there and say Putin this, Putin that. He has to stay I want peace. I don’t want to fight a war any longer. People are dying.
“He [Zelensky] wants to fight, fight, fight.
Following the disturbing argument, Senate Democrats accused Mr Trump and Mr Vance of siding with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work. Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media.
Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican of South Carolina), a long-time supporter of Ukraine who met with the Zelensky before his spat with Trump berated the Ukraining for arguing with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, telling reporters Kyiv’s leader should consider his political future.
“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we could ever do business with Zelensky again,” Mr Graham said outside the White House after Mr Trump canceled a scheduled joint press conference with Mr Zelensky and ordered him out of the executive mansion.
“I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with, the way he handled the meeting,” the South Carolina Republican added, describing the Ukrainian’s approach as “just over the top.”
“I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country,” Mr Graham also said.
“We want to be helpful.”
When asked if Mr Zelensky should resign as leader of Ukraine, Mr Graham answered: “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”
The raised-voice spat has sent shockwaves across the world, with the undiplomatic shouting match casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Trump later accused the Ukrainian leader of “not being ready for peace” and having “disrespected” the United States in the “cherished Oval Office”.
Here are some of the political reactions from around the world.
Russia slammed Mr Zelensky. “For the first time, Trump told the truth to the cocaine clown’s face,” said former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said President Trump showed “restraint” by not hitting Mr Zelensky during their shouting match in the White House.
“I think Zelensky’s biggest lie of all his lies was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone, without support,” she wrote on Telegram.
“How Trump and Vance held back from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraint,” she said.
However, EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa assured Mr Zelensky of Europe’s unwavering support after his extraordinary clash with Mr Trump, telling him: “You are never alone”.
“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” wrote the European commission and council presidents in a joint statement on social media,.
“We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
“Germany together with our European allies stands united alongside #Ukraine - and against the Russian aggression,” foreign minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X and Bluesky, adding that Kyiv’s “quest for peace & security is ours”.
French President Emmanuel Macron also defended Ukraine.
“There is an aggressor which is Russia. There is an aggressed people which is Ukraine,” Mr Macron told journalists.
“Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X.
“Ukraine, Spain stands with you,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Mr Zelensky said he was grateful to the United States for its support and for his visit after the shouting match with President Trump.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit... Ukraine needs just and lasting peace and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote on X.
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