Lyn Frans
President Donald Trump shouted at Ukraine’s leader on Friday during an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, berating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for “gambling with millions of lives” and suggesting his actions could trigger World War III.
Zelenskyy then abruptly left the White House without signing a critical minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump had demanded and suggested was a condition for future support for Ukraine.
Untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room where the lunch between Trump and Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have taken place.
WATCH:
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute engagement devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy — who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.
It began with Vance telling Zelenskyy, “Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Zelenskyy attempted to voice his objections, which led Trump to raise his voice, declaring, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.”
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“You’re risking World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country, which has supported you far more than many believe it should have,” Trump added.
This confrontation marked a striking moment of open hostility in the Oval Office, a venue typically associated with serious diplomatic discussions. Trump openly revealed his attempts to pressure Zelenskyy into granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources and to steer him toward a diplomatic solution to the conflict on terms favorable to the American leader.
Earlier in the meeting, Trump stated that the U.S. would continue to provide military support to Ukraine but expressed a desire for limited aid. “We’re not looking forward to sending a lot of arms,” he said. “We’re looking forward to ending the war so we can focus on other matters.”
Trump indicated that Zelenskyy was not in a position to demand concessions.
“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said, pointing a finger at Zelenskyy. “With us, you start gaining cards.”
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He also accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” to the United States.
“It’s going to be very difficult to do business like this,” Trump told Zelenskyy as both leaders spoke over one another regarding past international support for Ukraine.
“Again, just say thank you,” Vance interjected, criticizing Zelenskyy for airing “disagreements” in front of the media. However, Trump seemed to welcome the tension. “I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on,” he remarked.
“You’re not showing any gratitude at all,” Trump said, adding, “This is going to make great television.”
These harsh exchanges occurred at a critical and uncertain time for Ukraine. Zelenskyy had intended to persuade the White House to offer some form of U.S. support for Ukraine’s security against potential future Russian aggression.
