A heated exchange took place between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on one side, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the other during a meeting at the White House to try and bring the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia to an end.
At one point during the tense conversation, Vance asked Zelenskyy if he’s “said thank you once this entire meeting,” referring to Ukraine being thankful to the U.S. for the billions of dollars we’ve sent them to aid in their fight against the occupation of Russia.
While the meeting was happening, Vance also stated that the best path — perhaps the only path as well — to ensuring peace between the two countries was through the U.S. engaging in diplomacy. This is something Zelensky has defiantly resisted.
“Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance said to Zelenskyy. “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country.”
“Have you’ve ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?” Zelenskyy, now very defensive, fired back at the vice president.
“I’ve actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour,” Vance explained. “Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people into your military? And 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 trying to prevent the destruction of your country?”
The Ukrainian president said that currently, under the conflict, “everybody has problems, even you” going on to add the U.S. would eventually feel the impact of the war sometime down the road.
“You don’t know that,” Trump then said to Zelenskyy as he said”God bless you” to Trump.
“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” the president continued.
“You are in no position to dictate that, remember that,” Trump told Zelenskyyy, who tried to defend himself by saying he was only answering Vance’s questions.
“I feel we’re going to feel very good, very strong,” Trump explained to Zelenskyy. “You’re right now not in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.”
“You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,” Trump elaborated, as Zelesnkyy stated, “I’m not playing cards.”
“Yeah you’re playing cards,” Trump fired back. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”
And if you think things are getting spicy here, Vance jumps back in the fray and delivers a powerful verbal punch of his own.
“You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country,” Vance interjected.
Zelenskyy then attempted to accuse Vance of talking “loudly,” but Trump tagged back in and said that his vice president was just fine.
“Your country is in big trouble,” Trump told Zelenskyy. “Wait a minute. No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.”
“Zelenskyy traveled to the U.S. Friday to meet with Trump at the White House after Trump said Thursday that a peace negotiation to end the war between Ukraine and Russia is in its final stages. The Trump administration is also working to ink an agreement with Ukraine that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support the U.S. has offered the nation since war broke out in 2022, as part of the peace deal,” Fox News reported.
During remarks made to the media, the president said that should a trilateral meeting take place with the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, it would not be a “love match” and would probably be very difficult.
President Trump after intense exchange with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House: "This is going to make great television." pic.twitter.com/e35X8UMO0e
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 28, 2025
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