Wild scenes as Trump, Zelensky openly row
In an extraordinary outburst in the White House Donald Trump has laid into Ukraine’s president and then cancelled a planned press conference.
Extraordinary scenes have unfolded in Washington DC as US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky openly argued in the White House.
Mr Trump demanded Mr Zelensky “be thankful”.
Following the fracas on Friday, US time – which you can watch in the video player above – a press conference to sign a minerals deal with Ukraine was cancelled.
Mr Trump later said on social media that Mr Zelensky had “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace”.
Mr Zelensky then left the White House after the argument – reportedly on the orders of Mr Trump.
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The Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova was seen holding her head in her hands as Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance sparred with Mr Zelensky.
The meeting began in a more cordial manner with Mr Trump greeting Mr Zelensky as he emerged from his car. Mr Zelensky said Mr Trump was on “our side”.
But the two presidents began to clash on the need for compromising with what the Ukrainian president called Russia’s “killer” leader. Mr Zelensky said the US would “feel” Russian aggression in the future if Putin was emboldened.
“You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Mr Trump said.
“We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
He then berated Mr Zelensky as they sat in the Oval Office, telling him to be more “thankful” and telling the Ukrainian president that he either “make a deal” with Russia “or we’re out”.
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‘Disrespectful’
“You don’t have the cards right now,” Mr Trump said as the two presidents began talking over one another.
“We’re not playing cards,” Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Vance, sitting nearby, also attacked Mr Zelensky, calling him “disrespectful”.
“(Putin) killed our people, and he didn’t exchange prisoners,” Mr Zelensky said to the Vice President.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Mr Vance replied.
“It's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.
“Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the President”.
Mr Trump repeatedly lashed out at Mr Zelensky, who he said was not “nice.”
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Mr Trump said.
“You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country — this country.”
Deal signing off, Zelensky leaves early
The admonishing of Mr Zelensky by the US President continued on social media. Mr Trump said the meeting was “very meaningful”.
“Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and 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,” he said.
Mr Zelensky then left the White House with no deal signed and a cloud over where the peace process might go from here.
He later commented on social media, saying thank you to the President, which was notable after Mr Vance accused him of not being thankful.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you (President Trump), Congress, and the American people.
“Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that”.
The dramatic public breakdown in the long-tense relationship between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump came after their meeting — in front of a large group of journalists — appeared to get off to a friendlier start.
Mr Zelensky had said, “I think President Trump is on our side.”
He said that he would be speaking to the US president about the “crucial” need for a so-called US security “backstop” to any European deployments of peacekeepers monitoring an eventual truce.
“This is crucial, this is what we want to speak about, this is very important,” he said.
Mr Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt U-turn in US policy, ending what had been full-throated support for Ukraine’s attempt to defeat the Russian invasion and casting himself as a mediator between Putin and Mr Zelensky.
Mr Trump had told Mr Zelensky that a truce is “fairly close.” He also said that a deal he was set to sign with Mr Zelensky allowing US exploitation of Ukraine’s natural resources would be “very fair”.
Mr Trump said Ukraine would have to make “compromises” in a truce with Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour three years ago.
“You can’t do any deals without compromises. So certainly he’s going to have to make some compromises, but hopefully they won’t be as big as some people think,” Mr Trump said.
Row comes after thaw
The Oval Office outburst came a day after Mr Trump claimed he forgot about posting wild comments claiming Mr Zelensky was a “dictator”.
There have been claims the US President is using an intentionally provocative approach to dealing with issues facing the US by whipping up a firestorm of outrage with offensive jabs. As such, Mr Trump purposefully directs the world’s attention to any topic he chooses.
Those “dictator” comments churned and churned through the global media, with many claiming the 78-year-old is “dangerous” given his comparatively soft stance on Vladimir Putin.
His sudden pivot towards Russia has sent EU leaders scrambling, but the US President says there is “a lot of progress” towards a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine and that negotiations were at a crucial stage.
“It’ll either be fairly soon or it won’t be at all,” Mr Trump told a press conference with UK leader Keir Starmer.
During that meeting, Mr Trump walked back his derogatory comments aimed at Mr Zelensky, attempting to claim that he’d “forgotten” calling him a dictator just last week.
“Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” Mr Trump said. “I have a lot of respect for him.”
As is Trump’s style, it all hinges on how much the US benefits from the war ending.
In the three years of conflict, the US has backed the nation to the tune of $65.9 billion ($A103b) in military aid. An envoy of tanks, anti-air systems and mountains of ammunition has assisted Ukraine’s efforts to push back the constant Russian offensive. But that is all set to end under the Republican’s tenure.
Things are moving quickly after Mr Trump’s “dictator” spray.
Mr Zelensky’s initial rejection of the deal to give the US preferential access to resources was what prompted the backlash, but a lot can happen in a week.
On Friday, Mr Trump hosted the Ukrainian president at the White House to sign a deal granting Washington access to the country’s oil, gas and rare earth metals.
Mr Zelensky demanded US security guarantees as part of any deal, but Mr Trump has refused to commit to anything as yet, simply claiming that “we’ll be dig, dig, digging”.
It is all part of Mr Trump’s campaign pledge to recoup “losses” from the aid the US provided to Ukraine and while it appears to be slowly coming together, there are a million questions that remain unanswered.
‘Peace, prosperity to everyone’
Some analysts hold firm that Mr Trump’s strategy is a slice of genius, claiming Ukraine is caught in an impossible meat grinder that will continue no matter the level of support from allied nations.
“Trump has taken an unwinnable war, found a way to end it, and bring peace, prosperity and security to everyone,” Fox News’ K. McFarland wrote this week.
“The deal gives the US access to much-needed rare earth minerals and helps us recoup some of our investment in Ukraine war. A win for us.
“It helps rebuild Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure. It puts thousands of American engineers, miners, builders and even bankers on the ground in eastern Ukraine, serving as a security guarantee to Ukraine. A win for Ukraine.”
McFarland believes Mr Trump’s placating of Mr Putin is a wise step towards fixing complex relations with Russia.
“It gives the US an opening to a better relationship with Russia with an aim to driving a wedge in the anti-American Sino-Russian alliance. A win for the US and our allies.
“It gives Russia an off-ramp to a difficult war and holds open the possibility of improved relations with the US, including in trade and investment. A win for Russia.”
We’ll have to see exactly how “everyone wins” in the coming weeks.
Questions still loom
As relations between longstanding US allies tense-up under Mr Trump, some analysts claim it is still yet to be seen if handshaking with Russia will yield positive long-term results.
An article published in the The Atlantic, an outlet Mr Trump has previously described as radically left-wing, has turned its back around on the US President, claiming his move against Europe at the UN is a seismic departure from a principle that has propped up 80 years of US foreign policy.
Historian Anne Applebaum says Mr Trump has brazenly burnt a bridge with key European allies in the same style he has dealt with interior political opponents in the US.
He believes he has the best plan for each problem and is willing to sour relations to get his way.
“By doing that, Trump is saying, ‘I don’t care anymore about alliances. I’m not interested in your opinions. I’m going to do a deal with this dictator over your head’,” Ms Applebaum said.
“And that’s a message that is heard not just in every European capital, but in every allied capital around the planet as a sign that the US is changing.”
Ms Applebaum argues Mr Trump has now set off an uncontrollable domino effect.
“What happens to our trade relationships with Europe and with Asia? What about the US companies that have enjoyed special favour in those markets?” she said.
“All these things that have governed US behaviour and allied behaviour all over the world for 80 years, now disappear.”
Originally published as Wild scenes as Trump, Zelensky openly row
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