WHITE HOUSE — A White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed at securing a deal that would allow the U.S. access to Ukrainian rare mineral rights turned into a heated exchange with the two leaders talking over each other and Trump telling Zelenskyy, “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out.” In a statement on social media after the meeting, Trump indicated the proposed deal is off. “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. “He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.” The heated exchange, witnessed by dozens of American and Ukrainian reporters in the Oval Office, took a combative tone about 40 minutes into the meeting when Zelenskyy raised Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea. U.S. Vice President JD Vance immediately criticized Zelenskyy, accusing him of engaging in a “propaganda tour.” “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” he told Zelenskyy. Both Vance and Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of not being thankful for the assistance his country has received from Washington. “You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said, raising his voice as Zelenskyy tried to rebut him. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.” Zelenskyy left the White House early, and a scheduled joint press conference was canceled. Later Friday, Trump told reporters before leaving the White House that the talks “didn’t work out exactly great.” Trump said that if the U.S. signs the mineral deal, it is his impression that Zelenskyy is “looking to go on and fight, fight, fight.” “We are not looking to go into a 10-year war and play games,” Trump said. When asked by a reporter what Zelenskyy needs to do to restart talks, Trump responded, ‘He’s got to say, ‘I want to make peace.'” Zelenskyy response Despite the abrupt end to the meeting, the Ukrainian leader took to social media soon after it ended to address the American public and U.S. leadership. “Thank you America,” Zelenskyy posted on the X social media platform. “Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.” Later Friday, Zelenskyy told Fox News that he believes the relationship between Ukraine and the U.S. can be salvaged and said he does not want to lose the United States as a partner. He added, however, he wants Trump to be “more on our side.” When asked if he should apologize to Trump, Zelenskyy said, “I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I’m not sure that we did something bad.” Rare minerals deal Before the meeting devolved, Trump said he was close to signing the deal with Zelenskyy. “We have something that is a very fair deal, and we look forward to getting in and digging, digging, digging, and working and getting some of the rare earth,” Trump told a visibly uncomfortable Zelenskyy. The proposed deal included provisions for the co-ownership and management of a postwar reconstruction fund for Ukraine, to which Ukraine would allocate 50% of future revenues from the country’s natural resources. But a White House spokesperson said the agreement was not signed. Fallout House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies said in a statement: “For three years, President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have stood on the side of democracy, freedom and truth. Their success is in the national security interests of the United States. We should stand with Ukraine until victory is won.” Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wrote on Facebook: “Thanks to President Trump — the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are OVER,” adding what was seen in the Oval Office was an “American President putting America first.” The public collapse of talks between Trump and Zelenskyy were met with cheers from some Russian officials. “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office,” Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, posted on X. Medvedev added that Trump “is right: The Kiev [sic] regime is ‘gambling with WWIII.'” Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, defended the Ukrainian leader. “The President is fighting for our country, for everyone who stands for a just and lasting peace,” Yermak posted on X. “Without real guarantees, war will return.” Responses from Europe European officials, including from France, Germany, Finland and the Netherlands, also took to social media to voice support for Ukraine. “Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine,” said European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, posting on X. ‘We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor,” Kallas said. “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.” First White House meeting Trump and Zelenskyy have had in-person engagements in the past, but Friday marks their first one at the White House. Earlier this month, the pair spoke by phone after Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since coming to office, Trump has increased his pressure campaign on Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv started the war with Russia and calling Zelenskyy a “dictator.” Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump also has repeated a claim that the U.S. has spent $350 billion on Ukraine’s war — a figure that far eclipses the amount recorded by the Department of Defense and the interagency oversight group that tracks U.S. appropriations to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Trump is pursuing direct negotiations with Russia without the involvement of Kyiv or European allies. He defended them during his Thursday press conference as “common sense.” He described the talks as “very well advanced” but cautioned that there is only a narrow window to secure a deal to end the war. He expressed confidence that Putin will “keep his word” and not launch further aggression on Ukraine should a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv be reached. VOA White House Correspondent Mykhailo Komadovsky and VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story.
