Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with Donald Trump ended in disaster on Friday, when the two leaders argued in an unusual discussion in front of the world’s media at the White House over the war with Russia. Zelensky saw the encounter in the Oval Office as an opportunity to persuade the US not to support Russian President Vladimir Putin, who authorized the invasion of Ukraine three years earlier. Instead, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance slammed Zelensky, accusing him of contempt and bringing relations with Kyiv’s most significant wartime partner to a new low. The Ukrainian leader was requested to leave, according to a US official.

An agreement between Ukraine and the United States to jointly develop Ukraine’s abundant natural resources, which Kyiv and its European allies had thought would lead to improved relations, was left unsigned. A senior White House official told Reuters that President Donald Trump is not interested in reopening or restarting the Ukraine minerals deal at the present. In an interview with Fox News following the turbulent meeting, Mr Zelensky stated that it would be tough to hold off Russia without US assistance, and that it does not have adequate weapons to drive Russia out. When asked if he regretted what happened, he replied, “Yes, it was not good.”

European politicians jumped to Zelensky’s support. According to German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, “we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.” An official in the Ukrainian delegation in Washington told Reuters that Zelensky spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and EU Council President Antonio Costa. Britain will host a conference of European leaders and Zelensky on Sunday to discuss a security backstop for any peace accord between Moscow and Kyiv.

Zelensky openly opposed Trump’s softer stance toward Putin, pushing him to “make no compromises with a killer.” Trump, whose camp said he and Vance were “standing up for Americans,” immediately took to Truth Social following the meeting to accuse Zelensky of disrespecting the United States. “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved,” he wrote, using a different spelling for the leader’s name. “He can come back when he is ready for Peace.” Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, issued a statement on Telegram saying that his troops supported Zelensky and that Ukraine’s strength lay in its unity.

In Congress, reaction from Trump’s Republican Party was mixed, while Democrats attacked his handling of the meeting. The Ukrainian leader led the conference in non-native English, and as it went, he was drowned out by Trump and Vance. “You are not in a good situation. You do not have the cards right now. “With us, you start having cards,” Trump stated. “I am not playing cards, Mr. President; I am very serious,” Zelensky stated. “You are playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people, and you’re gambling with World War III,” the US president said.

Because of the disagreement, Ukraine and the United States were unable to sign a much-touted minerals deal, which Kyiv hoped would compel Trump to support Ukraine’s war effort and potentially garner backing from Republicans in Congress for a new round of aid. The clash also hampered European officials’ efforts to persuade Trump to give security guarantees for Ukraine, despite his refusal to deploy U.S. troops on Ukrainian land to keep the peace.

Such guarantees are viewed as critical in deterring Russia from future attacks. Trump threatens to withdraw US funding for Ukraine. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out; if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. Trump told Zelensky, “I don’t think it will be pretty.” “Once we sign the deal, you’ll be in a much better position. But you’re not acting thankful at all, which is not a good thing. I’ll be honest. “That’s not a nice thing.” Trump insisted that Putin wanted to negotiate a deal.

Vance also mentioned that it was disrespectful of Zelensky to come to the Oval Office to argue his case, which Trump agreed with. “You didn’t say thank you,” Vance explained. Zelensky said, raising his voice, “I said thank you many times to the American people.” Zelensky, who received billions of dollars in US weapons and moral backing from the Biden administration, now faces a starkly different attitude from Trump. Trump wants to end the three-year war swiftly, repair relations with Russia, and return money paid to support Ukraine. “I hope I’m going to be remembered as a peacemaker,” Mr. Trump added.
Earlier, Trump told Zelensky that his soldiers have been unbelievably brave and that the United States wants to see an end to the fighting and the money put to “different kinds of use like rebuilding.”

Ukraine has swiftly grown its defense sector production, but it remains highly reliant on foreign military support and is struggling to replenish troops as it fights a far larger threat. While Ukraine fought Russia’s invasion from the outskirts of Kyiv and reclaimed large areas of land in 2022, Russia still controls around one-fifth of Ukraine and has been gradually gaining ground since a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023. Following a 2024 assault, Ukrainian troops control a portion of Russia’s western Kursk area. Trump has had a long-distance feud with Zelensky in recent weeks, criticizing his conduct of the conflict, branding him a “dictator,” and pressing him to agree to the minerals agreement. He later distanced himself from the “dictator” comment.