Washington: A high-stakes White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky erupted into a fiery confrontation on Friday, as the two leaders clashed over the future of U.S. support for Ukraine and efforts to broker a peace deal with Russia.
What was meant to be a diplomatic discussion quickly spiraled into a tense shouting match, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being ungrateful and reckless, while the Ukrainian president pushed back against what he saw as dangerous appeasement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“You’re gambling with World War Three,” Trump fumed at Zelensky as tensions boiled over in front of stunned reporters. "You're not in a strong position right now, and you're not acting thankful for everything this country has done for you," he added.
Zelensky, refusing to back down, warned Trump against making “compromises with a killer,” referring to Putin. But Trump, who has taken a dramatically softer tone toward the Russian leader in recent weeks, doubled down, insisting that the U.S. would no longer blindly support Ukraine’s war efforts without securing major concessions.
At the center of the heated debate was Trump’s demand for a deal granting the U.S. privileged access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals—a condition he insists must be met before any further American assistance. “We’ll be dig, dig, digging,” Trump had boasted before the meeting, echoing his old “drill, baby, drill” rhetoric.
But for Zelensky, the priority was securing firm U.S. security guarantees to prevent further Russian aggression—something Trump pointedly refused to commit to.
The situation deteriorated further when Vice President JD Vance chastised Zelensky for questioning Washington’s push for diplomacy. “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and challenge the president like this,” Vance snapped, as Zelensky pressed for clarity on what kind of "diplomatic solution" the U.S. was seeking.
The heated exchange underscores the dramatic shift in U.S.-Ukraine relations under Trump, who has openly questioned America’s long-standing support for Kyiv while praising Putin’s “honesty” in ceasefire negotiations.
In a social media post after the meeting, Trump made it clear he was deeply frustrated with Zelensky’s stance. “I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for peace,” he wrote, accusing the Ukrainian leader of “disrespecting the United States” by expecting continued American backing without compromise.
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine rages on, with fresh Russian offensives reported near the border. As Western allies scramble to understand Trump’s unpredictable approach, one thing is certain: the future of U.S. support for Ukraine has never been more uncertain.
