“You’re either going to make a deal, or we are out,” Trump warned. “If we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House in Washington February 28, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
What was meant to be a high-profile White House summit between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy collapsed into a public spectacle of hostility, with Trump berating Zelenskyy, cutting the meeting short, and canceling a planned press conference to announce a minerals deal.
Zelenskyy, who had traveled to Washington to secure continued US backing for Ukraine’s war effort, left the White House early after enduring a scathing rebuke from Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The meeting had been intended to finalize a mineral resources deal—hailed by Trump as a key step toward a ceasefire—but instead descended into a bitter argument over Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression and Zelenskyy’s calls for stronger American support.
Watch the moment meeting descends into heated argument –
‘Have You Said Thank You Once?’
From the start, tensions were high. Vance, a vocal skeptic of US aid to Ukraine, confronted Zelenskyy over what he called “publicity tours,” suggesting that Ukraine had taken US support for granted. When Zelenskyy invited Vance to visit Ukraine and witness the devastation firsthand, Trump swiftly interjected.
“You’re not really in a good position right now,” Trump said. “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
The atmosphere in the Oval Office turned icy as Trump accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the United States by criticising his administration’s approach to the war. Trump made it clear that Ukraine would have to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin or risk losing US backing entirely.
“You’re either going to make a deal, or we are out,” Trump warned. “If we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty
The meeting, which had been scheduled to continue behind closed doors, was abruptly cut short after the heated exchange. Soon after, Trump took to social media to announce that the minerals deal had not been signed and to suggest that Zelenskyy was unwilling to pursue peace if the US remained involved.
“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,” Trump wrote. “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.”
‘Great Television’
At one point, Trump referenced his own past dealings with Putin, saying, “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,” and suggested that the Russian leader was now willing to negotiate. “I don’t know if you can make a deal,” Trump told Zelenskyy.