Volodymyr Zelensky has been turfed out of the White House after a tense meeting with Donald Trump as the US President said the Ukrainian President is ‘not ready for peace’
President Zelensky was turfed out of the White House without a deal being reached, and a planned joint press conference was cancelled – as Trump claimed Zelensky was “not ready for peace”.
The US President said in a statement: “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 goes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelensky 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.”
Anger erupted in a meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky – as the US President accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “gambling with World War III”.
In fiery exchanges in the Oval Office, Trump berated Zelensky, telling him he “didn’t have the cards” to win the war without the United States. And he issued Ukraine’s President with an ultimatum: “You either make a deal, or we’re out.”
But Zelensky warned Trump promises of peace from Vladimir Putin could not be trusted. He called the Russian leader a killer and a terrorist and told Trump there should be “no compromises with a killer.”
Zelensky was expected to sign a deal when he visited the White House today on sharing Ukraine ‘s mineral resources. While it started cordially, the tone of the meeting soon turned hostile, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being “disrespectful” for pushing for security guarantees in the meeting. Mr Zelensky warned the US would “feel it in the future” if it did not continue to support Ukraine.
“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem,” Mr Trump hit back. “Because you’re in no position to dictate that. We’re going to feel very good and very strong.”
Raising his voice, Trump blasted: “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards.” Zelensky replied: “I’m not playing cards. I’m very serious. I’m a President in a war.”
“You’ve got to be more thankful,” Trump seethed. “I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy. I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States. Your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out.
“And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I think it’s not going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out.” He added: “You’re gambling with millions of people seeing you gambling with World War Three. You’re gambling with World War Three.”
Vice President JD Vance accused President Zelensky of being on a “propaganda tour” adding: “Mr President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for coming to the Oval Office and trying to litigate this in front of the media.”
And Vance asked Zelensky: “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” – before noting that he’d visited Pennsylvania in October to campaign for “the opposition” – Trump’s rival Kamala Harris.
Earlier in the meeting, Zelensky handed Trump a folder of photos showing men and women killed by Russian forces in a bid to demonstrate the horrors of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Even during the war there are rules,” Ukraine’s president told his American counterpart in the Oval Office. “These guys, they don’t have rules.” Trump denied being aligned with Putin, telling a journalist: “I’m aligned with America and I’m aligned with the world.
“Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,” Trump said, referring to claims of corruption involving him and Russia that dogged his first administration. President Trump has repeatedly questioned whether Ukraine was to blame for its own invasion – sharing blame with his predecessor Joe Biden for provoking Russia to invade by pushing for the country to be admitted to NATO.
And he has branded Mr Zelensky a “dictator” in posts on social media – though he partially walked back that claim in the Oval Office yesterday. During the meeting it emerged a reporter from Russia’s state-run TASS news agency had been allowed into the Oval Office by mistake. He was escorted out when he was discovered.