The high-stakes meeting between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. officials concluded unexpectedly amidst escalating tensions. The Oval Office gathering, initially intended for Ukraine to agree to share mining resources with the U.S., spiraled into a contentious dispute. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance pressed for greater gratitude from Ukraine for U.S. support and urged a ceasefire with Russia, even in the absence of clear security assurances from the U.S.
The dialogue turned acrimonious as Trump and Zelensky clashed, with Trump asserting, “You don’t have the cards right now,” and Zelensky retorting, “We’re not playing cards.” Zelensky voiced distrust towards Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting previous violations of ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreements. Trump grew increasingly agitated, cautioning Zelensky about the risk of endangering millions of lives.
Subsequently, Trump abruptly terminated the negotiations and canceled a planned press conference with Zelensky, citing disrespect towards the U.S. in a post on Truth Social. The anticipated agreement to establish a joint investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction, enabling the U.S. to extract rare earth minerals, collapsed. Zelensky departed the White House prematurely, and the joint press conference was scrapped.
The fallout represents a significant setback for Ukraine, with the investment deal devised to align Trump’s support for Ukrainian security with peace negotiations between Putin and Zelensky now in jeopardy. Trump’s concerns over the U.S.’s financial commitment to Ukraine and insistence on European contributions to security assistance have strained relations.
Following the meeting, Zelensky attempted damage control, expressing gratitude for American support and emphasizing the pursuit of lasting peace. However, doubts lingered even among Zelensky’s allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who feared irreparable harm caused by the tense encounter.
During the meeting with Trump, Zelensky refused to “take the bait” and insisted on the need for security guarantees. Senator Graham criticized the meeting as a disaster and called for Zelensky to either resign or change. The discussion in the Oval Office escalated as Zelensky emphasized that Putin could not be trusted and a ceasefire was not enough without U.S. security assurances. Vance, seated beside Trump, criticized the Biden administration’s approach towards Putin and questioned Zelensky’s actions in front of the media.
Zelensky stood his ground, recounting past failed agreements with Putin and challenging Vance on the effectiveness of diplomacy. He warned of the future threat Russia posed to the U.S. if allowed to continue its aggression in Ukraine. Trump intervened, asserting his control over the situation and emphasizing the importance of transparency for the American people.
Following the tense meeting, European leaders expressed their support for Ukraine on social media. Zelensky acknowledged the outpouring of solidarity. Despite the cancellation of a planned discussion at the Hudson Institute, Zelensky proceeded with an interview on Fox News where he declined to apologize to Trump, emphasizing his gratitude for American support amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“The American people,” he said. “I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I’m not sure that we did something bad,” Zelensky said. James Goldgeier, a professor of international relations at American University, says the meeting with Trump was “definitely a setback” for Zelensky. The testy exchange exposed that Trump “has zero interest in Ukraine, and he’s annoyed that President Zelensky’s desire to continue to save his country is getting in the way of some Trump deal.” When Zelensky continued to push back against Trump’s eagerness to work with Putin during the Oval Office argument, Trump launched into his long-standing anger at being investigated during his first term over Russia’s efforts to help his 2016 campaign. He said efforts by Democratic administrations to stop Putin in Ukraine failed because Putin didn’t respect Presidents Barack Obama or Joe Biden. “They respect me. Let me tell you. Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt,” Trump said. That tirade showed that Trump is “filled with this sense of anger and grievance,” Goldgeier says. “I don’t believe he’s standing up for America’s interest in this situation—he’s just catering to Putin and sees Ukraine as an annoyance and he just let it all out.” Daniel Fried, a former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, says Vance seemed like he wanted to pick a fight with Zelensky, and the squabble laid bare a conflict among Trump’s own advisers. “The real fight was not Trump and Vance against Zelensky, but a fight within the administration, between those who would like to see a Trump peace plan work and him get the credit, but have Ukraine survive as an independent country, even if without some territory for the time being—and others who want to simply forgo that option and weaken Ukraine and do some deal with Putin.” Read more: Trump Administration Reversed Course More Than A Dozen Times in First Weeks. At the end of his Friday evening Fox News interview, Zelensky was asked if he thought his relationship with Trump could be “salvaged.” After asking an interpreter to translate the word, Zelensky said, “Yes, of course because it’s relations more than two presidents.” There are “strong relations” between our two people, he said, and it is the American people who have helped “to save” Ukrainians. “We are thankful. Sorry for this. We wanted very much to have strong relations, and I am very confident we will have it,” he said. Contact us at letters@time.com.
