US President Donald Trump erupted at Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, angrily sending the Ukrainian leader out of the White House after an extraordinary Oval Office meltdown because he was “not ready” for peace with Russia.
The stunning row saw European leaders scramble to voice support for Ukraine, its ability to survive Russian invasion thrown further into doubt by the abrupt exit, as Zelensky left without a minerals deal painted as a significant step towards a US-brokered truce.
Instead, an ugly clash blew up in the Oval Office where Trump and Vice President JD Vance shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of not being “thankful” for US help in the three-year war.
Telling Zelensky that without US assistance Ukraine would have been conquered by Russia, Trump said the wartime leader was in no position to negotiate.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” he said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
Zelensky departed shortly after, with Trump posting on social media that “he can come back when he is ready for peace.”
The minerals deal was not signed and a joint press conference was canceled. US media reported that Zelensky had been told to leave by senior Trump officials.
The president later accused his one-time ally of “overplaying his hand,” saying he wants the fighting to end “immediately” and accusing Zelensky of opposing a ceasefire.
Zelensky, for his part, refused to apologize in a later interview with Fox News.
Saying he does respect Trump and the American people, he told Fox’s Bret Baier: “I’m not sure that we did something bad.”