Washington March 1 (New York Times) – US President Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a hostile exchange with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine during a televised meeting in the Oval Office on Friday involving a potential peace deal with Russia.Tempers flare before Zelensky abruptly departs the White House without signing a minerals deal.
The U.S. relationship with Ukraine erupted in a storm of acrimony on Friday as President Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in an explosive televised Oval Office showdown and abruptly cut short a visit meant to coordinate a plan for peace.
In a fiery public confrontation unlike any seen between an American president and foreign leader in modern times, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance castigated Mr. Zelensky for not being grateful enough for U.S. support in its war with Russia, and sought to strong-arm him into making a peace deal on whatever terms the Americans dictated.
With his voice raised and temper flaring, Mr. Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine altogether if Mr. Zelensky did not go along. After journalists were escorted out of the Oval Office, Mr. Trump canceled the rest of the visit, including a planned joint news conference and signing ceremony for a deal on rare minerals. A grim-faced Mr. Zelensky strode out of the West Wing, climbed into a waiting black sport utility vehicle and departed the White House grounds.
“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,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media. “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.”
The White House later sent out Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a close Trump ally, to tell reporters that Mr. Zelensky should consider stepping down.
“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change,” Mr. Graham said on the White House driveway.
The president’s verbal assault on Mr. Zelensky was a stunning display of anger and resentment toward the leader of a country that has been invaded by a larger power intent on eliminating it as an independent state. No other president in memory has lashed out at a visiting foreign leader in the Oval Office on camera in such a vituperative way, not even to an adversary of the United States, much less a putative ally.
Talking over the Ukrainian leader, Mr. Vance called Mr. Zelensky “disrespectful” for coming into the Oval Office and making his case in front of the American news media and demanded that he thank Mr. Trump for his efforts to broker a peace deal with Russia.
Mr. Trump jumped in and told the Ukrainian leader that “you’re not really in a good position right now” and that “you’re gambling with World War III.”
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Mr. Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
The spectacle underlined how radically Mr. Trump has reoriented American foreign policy in less than six weeks back in office, all but switching sides in the war in Europe as he expresses sympathy for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and antipathy for Mr. Zelensky.
Even as he shouted at the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office, the president spoke of Mr. Putin as if they were friends, saying that the Russian leader has “been through a lot with me” in enduring the “Russia hoax,” referring to the investigation of Mr. Putin’s clandestine efforts to help Mr. Trump win the 2016 election.
The confrontation provided a major boost to Mr. Putin, who has long sought to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its most important patron, the United States. Russian officials seemed overjoyed on social media. Dmitri A. Medvedev, a top Putin lieutenant, praised Mr. Trump for “telling the truth” to Mr. Zelensky’s face.
America’s traditional European allies, on the other hand, were deeply alarmed and rallied behind Mr. Zelensky, with the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and others issuing statements of support for Ukraine and its beleaguered leader. The show of solidarity came just days after the United States sided with Russia over Europe in opposing a U.N. resolution condemning Russian aggression on the third anniversary of its full-fledged invasion of Ukraine.
After leaving the White House, Mr. Zelensky canceled other scheduled events in Washington on Friday and tried to smooth over the rupture with a social media post aimed at Mr. Vance’s complaints about ingratitude.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people,” he wrote, using the acronym for president of the United States. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
Mr. Vance’s eagerness to assail Mr. Zelensky raised questions of whether it was a planned or impromptu ambush. Mr. Vance has never been a supporter of Ukraine and said in 2022 that “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine.”
After Mr. Vance began chastising Mr. Zelensky, it seemed to prompt Mr. Trump to join in. The result, though, was the blowup of an economic deal that Mr. Trump had prioritized in recent days, a commitment by Ukraine to turn over rare mineral rights to repay U.S. military aid over the past three years. The future of that deal remained unclear.
Mr. Zelensky’s hurriedly arranged visit to Washington to sign that deal was meant to smooth over tensions with Mr. Trump, who just last week parroted Russian talking points by falsely claiming that Ukraine “started” the war and calling Mr. Zelensky a “dictator without elections.”
With Mr. Zelensky agreeing to the minerals deal, Mr. Trump seemed ready to make nice by telling reporters on Thursday that he did not remember the dictator comment and expressing respect for the Ukrainian leader. He welcomed Mr. Zelensky at the door of the West Wing on Friday morning with an honor guard, and they shook hands politely but without evident warmth.
The encounter, though, quickly turned hostile shortly after they sat down in the Oval Office with journalists present. Mr. Zelensky, dressed in his usual dark long-sleeved shirt, sought to explain the history of the war with Russia, noting that it went back to 2014 when Moscow first seized Crimea and occupied territory in eastern Ukraine and continued through Mr. Trump’s first term.
He also expressed skepticism of peace efforts mentioned by Mr. Vance. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” he asked. “What do you mean?”
Bristling, Mr. Vance replied: “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.”
He then began assailing Mr. Zelensky. “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Mr. Vance lectured. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
He accused Mr. Zelensky of mounting a “propaganda tour” in the United States. “Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?”
Mr. Zelensky tried to respond to Mr. Vance’s assertions and said that the United States could feel threatened by Russia some day. “You have a nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future,” he said.
That set off Mr. Trump, who cut off Mr. Zelensky. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” he said, raising his voice. “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now.”
“I’m not playing cards,” Mr. Zelensky replied. “I’m very serious, Mr. President. I’m the president in a war.”
“You’re gambling with World War III,” Mr. Trump retorted. “And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.”
Mr. Vance jumped back in. “Have you said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting? No.”
“A lot of times,” Mr. Zelensky said. “Even today.”
Mr. Vance then accused him of campaigning for “the opposition” by visiting an ammunition plant in Scranton, Pa., last fall when the Ukrainian leader thanked workers for the arms they were making.
“Please,” Mr. Zelensky said. “You think that if you will speak very loudly about the war —”
Mr. Trump interrupted. “He’s not speaking loudly. He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble.”
“I know,” Mr. Zelensky said, adding that he was “thankful” for U.S. support.
Mr. Vance was unsatisfied. “Just say thank you,” he demanded.
“I said a lot of times,” Mr. Zelensky repeated. “Thank you to the American people.”
Mr. Graham later called the meeting a “complete, utter disaster” but blamed it on Mr. Zelensky, saying that he had advised the Ukrainian leader in a meeting earlier in the day to “don’t take the bait.” It was a measure of how much Republicans have fallen behind Mr. Trump that Mr. Graham and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both onetime hawks and strong supporters of Ukraine against Russia, backed the president and vice president.
“Somebody asked me, am I embarrassed about Trump?” Mr. Graham said. “I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country.”
Mr. Rubio echoed the point online: “Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before. Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!”
The Oval Office blowup drew criticism from supporters of Ukraine. “Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, said on social media. She was one of several lawmakers who met with Mr. Zelensky before his visit to the White House.
“And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe,” she wrote. “Shame on you.”
Adding their support were presidents and prime ministers of France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Portugal, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg and others.
“Dear Volodymyr @zelenskyyua, we stand with #Ukraine in good and in testing times,” wrote Friedrich Merz, set to be Germany’s next chancellor after elections this week. “We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
Vice President JD Vance: I will respond to this. So look, for four years in the United States of America, we had a president who stood up at press conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin. And then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country. The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. 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 is doing.
Zelensky: Yeah. OK. He occupied it, our parts. Big parts of Ukraine. Part of east and Crimea. So he occupied it on 2014. So during a lot of years, I’m not speaking about just Biden. But those times was Obama, then President Obama, then President Trump, then President Biden, now the President Trump. And God bless: Now President Trump will stop him. But during 2014, nobody stopped him. He just occupied and took. He killed people.
Zelensky: But during 2014 ’til 2022.(…) Nobody stopped him. You know that we had conversations with him, a lot of conversations. My bilateral conversation. And we signed with him. Me, like a new president. In 2019, I signed with him the deal I signed with him, Macron and Merkel. We signed cease-fire, cease-fire. All of them told me that he will never go. We signed him. Gas contract. Gas contract. But after that, he broken the cease-fire. He killed our people and he didn’t exchange prisoners. We signed the exchange of prisoners, but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?
Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.
Vance: Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to 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 man power problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.
Zelensky: Have you ever been to Ukraine? You say what problems we have.
Vance: I have been to—
Zelensky: Come once.
Vance: I’ve actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people into your military?
Zelensky: We have problems. I will answer.
Vance: And do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?
Zelensky: A lot of questions. Let’s start from the beginning.
Vance: Sure.
Zelensky: First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future.
Trump: You don’t know that.
Zelensky: God bless, you will not have a war.
Trump: Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.
Zelensky: I’m not telling you.
Trump: Because you’re in no position to dictate that. Remember this: You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel. We’re going to feel very good.
Zelensky: You will feel influence. I’m telling you.
Trump: We’re going to feel very good and very strong.
Zelensky: You will feel influence.
Trump: You’re right now not in a very good position.
Trump: You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position. And he happens to be right about. You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us you start having cards.
Zelensky: I’m not playing cards. I’m very serious, Mr. President. I’m very serious. I’m the president in a war—
Trump: You’re playing cards. You’re playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.
Vance: Have you said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting? No. In this entire meeting, have you said ‘thank you’? You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who is trying to save your country.
Zelensky: Please. You think that if you will speak very loudly about the war, you—
Trump: He’s not speaking loudly. He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble. Wait a minute.
Zelensky: Can I answer?
Trump: No. No. You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
Zelensky: I know. I know.
Trump: You’re not winning. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us.
Zelensky: Mr. President, we are staying in our country, staying strong, from the very beginning of the war, we’ve been alone, and we are thankful. I said thanks in this cabinet, and only in this cabinet.
Trump: You haven’t been alone. We gave you through this stupid president, $350 billion. We gave you military equipment. And your men are brave. But they had to use our military. If you didn’t have our military equipment—
Zelensky: You invited me—
Trump: If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.
Zelensky: In three days. I heard it from Putin: in three days.
Trump: Maybe less.
Zelensky: This is something, in two weeks. Of course. Yes.
Trump: It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this. I tell you.
Vance: Just say thank you.
Zelensky: I said it a lot of times thank you to the American people.
Vance: Accept that there are disagreements. And let’s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when you’re wrong. We know that you’re wrong.
Trump: But you see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. That’s why I kept this going so long. You have to be thankful.
Zelensky: I am thankful.
Trump: You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there, your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers.
Zelensky: Don’t, please, Mr. President.
Trump: Listen. You’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing. Then you tell us, ‘I don’t want a cease-fire. I don’t want a cease-fire. I want to go, and I want this.’ Look, if you could get a cease-fire right now, I’d tell you, you take it. So the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.
Zelensky: Of course we want to stop the war.
Trump: But you’re saying you don’t want a cease-fire.
Zelensky: But I said to you, with guarantees.
Trump: I want a cease-fire, because you’ll get a cease-fire faster than an agreement.
Zelensky: Ask our people about cease-fire, what they think—
Trump: There wasn’t with me. That wasn’t with me. That was with a guy named Biden who was not a smart person. That was with Obama.
Zelensky: It was your president.
Trump: Excuse me. That was with Obama, who gave you sheets, and I gave you javelins.
Zelensky: Yes.
Trump: I gave you the javelins to take out all those tanks. Obama gave you sheets. In fact, the statement is: Obama gave sheets, and Trump gave javelins. You got to be more thankful because 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’s going to be a tough deal to make because the attitudes have to change.
Reporter: What if Russia breaks cease-fire? What if Russia breaks peace talks? What do you do then? I understand that it’s a heated conversation?
Trump: What are you saying?
Vance: She’s asking: What if Russia breaks the cease-fire?
Trump: What if anything? What if a bomb drops on your head right now? OK? What if they broke it? I don’t know, they broke it with Biden because Biden, they didn’t respect him. They didn’t respect Obama. They respect me. Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia. You ever hear of that deal? That was a phony. That was a phony Hunter Biden, Joe Biden scam. Hillary Clinton, shifty Adam Schiff. It was a Democrat scam. And he had to go through that. And he did go through it. We didn’t end up in a war. And he went through it. He was accused of all that stuff. He had nothing to do with it. It came out of Hunter Biden’s bathroom. It came out of Hunter Biden’s bedroom. It was disgusting. And then they said, ‘Oh, the laptop from hell was made by Russia.’ The 51 agents. The whole thing was a scam. And he had to put up with that.
He was being accused of all that stuff. All I can say is this: He might have broken deals with Obama and Bush, and he might have broken them with Biden. He did. Maybe. Maybe he didn’t. I don’t know what happened. But he didn’t break them with me. He wants to make a deal. I don’t know if he can make a deal.
The problem is, I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States. And your people are very brave.
Zelensky: Thank you.
Trump: But you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out.
But you don’t have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing.
All right. I think we’ve seen enough. What do you think, huh? This is going to be great television. I will say that. All right. We’ll see what we can do about putting it together. Thank you.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/28/us/trump-news
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