New York/Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked US President Donald Trump and the country for its support after departing the White House following an unprecedented showdown in the Oval Office with the American leader and Vice President J D Vance.
During an intense Oval Office meeting on Friday, Trump shouted at Zelenskyy, accusing him of “risking millions of lives” and warning that his actions might lead to World War III.
Trump and Vance also accused Zelenskyy of not being thankful for the support the US has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table with Russia on a potential peace deal.
In response, Zelenskyy abruptly departed the White House without signing a crucial minerals agreement with the US, which Trump had insisted upon and implied was a prerequisite for continued support to Ukraine.
Minutes after his departure from the White House, the Ukrainian president in a post on X said, “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
Following the unprecedented verbal clash in the Oval Office, a joint press conference scheduled between Trump and Zelenskyy in the East Room of the White House was also cancelled.
A White House spokesperson said a minerals agreement that was set to be signed between the US and Ukraine also did not go through.
A statement from the White House said Trump and Vance “will always stand up for the interests of the American people and those who respect the United States’ position in the world — and will never allow the American people to be taken advantage of”.
The statement cited Trump’s exchange with Zelenskyy, in which the US leader asserted, “Let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards — but without us, you don’t have any cards.”
It also referenced a November Gallup poll indicating that 52 per cent of Ukrainians favour a swift resolution to the war and believe the country should consider “ceding some territory in exchange for peace”.
The statement highlighted Trump’s remark that Zelenskyy was “gambling with World War III”.
It noted that Zelenskyy himself acknowledged that the situation in Ukraine could lead to WW III and that without US aid, they would lose.
“A third world war could start in Ukraine, continue in Israel, and move on from there to Asia, and then explode somewhere else,” the statement said.
The bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy unravelled in the Oval Office as Vance stepped in to make an intervention during a press interaction.
“We tried the pathway of Joe Biden, of thumping our chest and pretending that the President of the United States’ words mattered more than the President of the United States’ actions. What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That’s what President Trump’s doing,” Vance said.
To this, Zelenskyy said if he could ask a question, and referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Vance hit back, saying, “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media… you should be thanking the president for trying to bring you into this conference.”
As the conversation grew heated, Trump said to Zelenskyy, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War Three. You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should.”
Vance asked Zelenskyy: “Have you ever said thank you once?” Zelenskyy answered that he had done so many times, to which Vance asked whether he had done so yet during their meeting.
Trump added later, “You have to be thankful; you don’t have the cards. You’re buried there.”
Minutes after the showdown in the Oval Office ended, Trump in a statement said, “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. 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 an 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.”
A CNN report said Trump and Zelenskyy went to separate rooms after their heated exchange, “with the Ukrainians wanting the talks to continue. The White House, however, made it clear it was time for them to go. Trump ordered that the Ukrainians be told to leave, according to a White House official”.
Before the heated exchange, a reporter asked Zelenskyy why he was not wearing a suit to the meeting in the United States’ highest office.
“I will wear a (suit) costume after this war finishes, yes. Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don’t know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you,” he said, responding in English.
Later talking to reporters in the White House, US Senator Lindsey Graham said, “I have never been more proud of the President. I was very proud of J D Vance standing up for our country. We want to be helpful. What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again.”
