Donald Trump & Volodymyr Zelenskyy Speak Out After Explosive Oval Office Confrontation

An Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unraveled into a heated exchange that resulted in Zelenskyy’s abrupt and early exit from the White House. Zelenskyy joined Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Feb. 28 to discuss a potential deal over Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, but the conversation quickly escalated after Vance suggested that diplomacy was Ukraine’s best path toward ending its war with Russia. Zelenskyy pushed back and pointed out that Russia has not cooperated in past diplomatic attempts with Ukraine, prompting Trump and Vance to say that they don’t believe Zelenskyy is grateful enough to the U.S. for its support of his country. A joint news conference with Trump and Zelenskyy meant to celebrate the now-defunct deal signing was canceled, and Trump took to Truth Social to indicate that he felt Zelenskyy was disrespectful and can return to the White House “when he is ready for peace.” For his part, Zelenskyy and expressed gratitude for his visit in a post on X, thanking the U.S. along with Trump, Congress and the American people.