President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday shouted at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a minutes-long verbal brawl in the Oval Office.
“What you’re doing is disrespectful to this country!” Trump yelled at Zelenskyy at one point during the argument.
The meeting started off cordial, but spiraled after Vance spoke up and slammed the Biden administration and discussed the need for peace talks and a ceasefire. That prompted Zelenskyy to criticize Russian leader Vladimir Putin and discuss Russia’s history of aggression toward Ukraine.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” Zelenskyy asked after he detailed Putin breaking peace agreements in the past.
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” said Vance, who pointed his finger repeatedly at Zelenskyy.
Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not showing gratitude toward Trump and of trying to make a show in front of the media gathered.
“I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and 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,” Vance said. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Zelenskyy then defended himself, which resulted in Trump yelling at him for this comment:
“Everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future,” Zelenskyy said as he urged the United States’ leaders to help Ukraine defend itself to stop further Russian aggression.
“You don’t know that,” Trump responded. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel!”
Trump then got into a heated back and forth with the Ukrainian president, demanding that he accept a peace deal with Russia — which Zelenskyy and critics contend would amount to appeasement by giving Russia Ukrainian territory — since he had no leverage.
“You’re right now not in a very good position,” Trump said. “You don’t have the cards right now.”
Zelenskyy: “I’m not playing cards.”
Trump: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You're gambling with World War III!”
Trump then accused Zelenskyy of not wanting a ceasefire and of acting too tough, and he reiterated Vance’s accusation that the Ukrainian president should be grateful to Trump.
“You’re not acting at all thankful,” Trump said. “That’s not a nice thing.”
After the tense exchange, the White House canceled a scheduled news conference with Zelenskyy and plans to sign a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, in an attempt to compensate American taxpayers for sending aid to Ukraine. The White House then reportedly asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, accusing him of not wanting peace, and leaving negotiations to end the war in doubt.
