According to a White House official, after the meeting spiraled into conflict, the Ukrainian delegation left the Oval Office for a separate room while the U.S. team remained behind. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio later instructed the Ukrainians to depart the White House. The official noted that Zelenskyy attempted to de-escalate the situation and sought a reset, but Trump and other administration officials were reportedly offended by his behavior at cinechatter.site.
The tense meeting exposed deep rifts between the U.S. and Ukraine, derailing the signing of a rare minerals deal and highlighting the pressure Trump has placed on Ukraine to agree to end the war initiated by Russia. During the discussion, Trump reportedly threatened Zelenskyy, demanding he strike a deal with Russia or risk losing U.S. support, stating, “We’re out.” Vance, meanwhile, accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful.”
Later in the day, high-level administration sources confirmed to CBS News that discussions were underway regarding whether the U.S. would continue providing military aid to Ukraine following the clash between Trump and Zelenskyy.
The meeting grew increasingly tense after Vance criticized the Biden administration’s role in the current global situation, asserting that diplomacy was now essential. Zelenskyy pushed back, pointing out that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly violated ceasefire agreements, including during Trump’s presidency, such as the Minsk agreements. Zelenskyy also referenced a prisoner exchange deal he had signed with Putin, which Russia failed to honor. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?” Zelenskyy asked.
Vance retorted that Zelenskyy’s attempts to argue his case in front of the American media were “disrespectful.” He urged the Ukrainian leader to thank Trump for efforts to end the conflict, stating, “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this.” Vance also accused Zelenskyy of conducting “propaganda tours” for visitors to Ukraine, visit cinechatter.site.
Trump interjected, asserting that Ukraine was in “big trouble” but had a “damn good chance of coming out okay because of us.” He repeatedly criticized Zelenskyy for not expressing gratitude, saying, “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.”
Zelenskyy maintained a calm tone throughout the exchange, even as Trump and Vance raised their voices. He emphasized that Ukraine desires peace but requires security assurances alongside any ceasefire agreement. “Just a ceasefire will never work,” Zelenskyy said, noting that Putin had broken agreements “25 times.” Trump countered, “But he never broke [his word] to me.”
A White House official later described the Ukrainians as “difficult to negotiate with” and characterized the Oval Office argument as a “tipping point.” The minerals deal, which was intended as a step toward lasting peace, collapsed because Zelenskyy “overplayed his cards.”
The meeting ended so poorly that Trump took to social media afterward, criticizing Zelenskyy and declaring that the Ukrainian leader was “not ready for peace.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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. 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.”
Zelenskyy left the White House at 1:41 p.m. and later posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its support and reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to achieving “just and lasting peace.” He was scheduled to speak at the Hudson Institute in Washington later that day, but the event was canceled.
As Trump departed for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he told CBS News that Zelenskyy needed to explicitly express a desire for peace to restart talks. “He’s gotta say, ‘I wanna make peace,’” Trump said. “He doesn’t have to stand there and say, ‘Putin this, Putin that.’ All negative things. He’s gotta say, ‘I wanna make peace. I don’t want to fight a war any longer.’”
Next Steps and Fallout
High-level sources within the Trump administration revealed that Ukrainian officials reached out to senior White House officials Friday afternoon in an attempt to salvage the deal. However, they were informed that no further discussions would occur that day. Trump was reportedly unwilling to engage with Zelenskyy further, check out cinechatter.site.
When Rubio and Waltz asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, they emphasized that any additional meetings would be counterproductive. Waltz reportedly told Zelenskyy that he had made a “tremendous mistake” and had done a disservice to both Ukraine and the U.S.
No phone calls between Trump and Putin have been scheduled, the sources added. Meanwhile, European officials have contacted top Trump administration officials to explore ways to salvage the minerals deal.
Regarding Zelenskyy’s request for military guarantees, the U.S. made it clear that Trump prioritized an economic partnership first, with security guarantees to be discussed as part of a potential ceasefire. There were no discussions about deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine.
The White House remains uncertain about its ability to facilitate an end to the conflict. Trump is not seeking regime change in Ukraine, and there have been no discussions about potential alternatives to Zelenskyy’s leadership.
Background on the Minerals Deal
Earlier in the week, Trump had announced that the U.S. and Ukraine had reached a broad framework for sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources, with Zelenskyy expected to sign the agreement during his visit. Despite public tensions between the two leaders, negotiations had continued. Trump had previously blamed Ukraine for the war started by Russia and labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator,” while refraining from applying the same term to Putin.
A Ukrainian official told CBS News that Kyiv hoped the agreement would ensure continued U.S. security support. Trump, however, framed the deal as a way to repay American taxpayers for their support of Ukraine over the past three years.
The fallout from the Oval Office meeting underscores the fragile state of U.S.-Ukraine relations and raises questions about the future of American support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of peace and security guarantees to prevent Russia from continuing to disrupt the lives of other nations. “Peace and security guarantees are the key to ensuring that Russia can no longer destroy the lives of other nations,” he wrote. He also stressed the critical role of ongoing U.S. support, stating, “For me and for all of us in the world, it’s important that U.S. support is not stopped. Strength is needed on the path to peace.”
Earlier this month, President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and claimed that Putin desires an end to the war. Last week, Trump expressed confidence in Russia’s willingness to negotiate in good faith, even as top Trump administration officials met with Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian representation. On Thursday, Trump reiterated his belief that Putin would honor any peace agreement reached, stating, “I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word.”
Trump has been critical of Zelenskyy, labeling him a “dictator” last week, citing the expiration of Zelenskyy’s five-year term in 2023 and the absence of new elections. Ukraine has been under martial law since shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, and the country’s constitution prohibits elections during such periods. When asked during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron whether he considers Putin a dictator, Trump avoided a direct answer, saying, “I don’t use those words lightly. I think that we’re going to see how it all works out. Let’s see what happens.”
Trump has also placed partial blame on Ukraine for the invasion, remarking last week, “You should have never started it, you could have made a deal.” This sentiment has been echoed by some of his top officials, who have been hesitant to criticize Putin. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, for instance, sidestepped questions about whether Trump views Putin as a dictator and declined to assign responsibility for the war, stating only, “His goal here is to bring this war to an end, period.”
Trump has frequently claimed that the war would never have occurred if he had been president instead of Joe Biden. On the campaign trail, he vowed to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine even before taking office. At a rally in June, Trump declared, “Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. I will get it settled before I even become president.” However, after winning the election, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the situation, suggesting that achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine might be more challenging than brokering peace in the Middle East. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation,” he said in December. “I see that as more difficult.”
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy made a striking statement, expressing his willingness to step down as president if it would secure lasting peace for Ukraine and NATO membership. Speaking at a forum marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy said, “If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready.” This declaration underscores the Ukrainian leader’s commitment to ending the conflict, even at significant personal cost.
The ongoing tensions and shifting dynamics between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia highlight the complexities of achieving a resolution to the war, as leaders navigate diplomatic challenges and competing priorities.
