Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s Oval Office shouting match shocks world

US President Donald Trump has eviscerated the president of Ukraine after they clashed badly over diplomacy in an Oval Office meeting.

In extraordinary scenes from the Oval Office in the White House, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky clashed in a shouting match on Friday leaving efforts to end the war with Russia hanging in the balance.

“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” a furious Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky, 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.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky started shouting at each other during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. Picture: AFP

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.

Associated Press reports that untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room, where the lunch between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have occurred.

The White House confirmed the Ukraine delegation was told to leave.

VP JD Vance accused Mr Zelensky of being disrespectful, which triggered an argument. Picture: AFP

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) berated Mr Zelensky 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.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had a heated exchange in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. Picture: AFP

“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.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky clashed badly in the Oval Office over the approach to seeking peach with Russia. It is not known where the rare earth minerals deal now stands. Picture: AFP

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.”

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, before their war of words. Picture: AFP

“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.