Ukraine President Zelenskyy leaves White House early after furious meeting where Trump claims he ‘disrespected US’ and is not ready for peace.
US military support for Ukraine hangs in the balance and talks over a minerals deal have collapsed following a disastrous White House summit in which Donald Trump warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he was “gambling with world war three” and
told the Ukrainian president to come back “when he is ready for peace”.
Zelenskyy left the White House early and a press conference to announce the minerals deal was cancelled after Trump gave Zelenskyy a dressing-down that followed an ambush led by Vice-President JD Vance to shatter the fragile relationship between the two leaders.
Earlier, the US president received the Ukrainian president on Friday to discuss a controversial mineral resources deal that Trump has said is the first step toward a ceasefire agreement that he is seeking to broker between Russia and Ukraine.
During the meeting, Trump berated Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” and accused him of "gambling with World War Three".
At one point, Trump urged Zelenskyy to be more thankful.
Zelenskyy openly challenged Trump over his softer approach towards Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to "make no compromises with a killer".
But the meeting on Friday degenerated after Zelenskyy suggested that Vance, a skeptic of US support for Ukraine, should come to the country to see the destruction from the invasion and that Russia was responsible for the continued fighting.
The meeting had been due to continue behind closed doors, but was cut short after the open display of antagonism in the Oval Office.
Soon afterwards, Trump released a statement in which he suggested that the two had not signed the minerals agreement.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
During the public part of the meeting, Trump and Vance took turns to berate Zelenskyy, with Vance accusing him of carrying out “publicity tours” and Trump telling him: “You’re not really in a good position right now.”
At one point he demanded: “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
Picking up the theme Trump told Zelenskyy: “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?”
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