Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday took a swipe at President Donald Trump after their heated Oval Office exchange and the collapse of a critical minerals deal, which could have helped Ukraine move closer to ending its war with Russia.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
Trump had accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting America” in a Truth Social post minutes after their tense Oval Office meeting blow up.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A planned joint press conference at 1 pm, following a framework mineral agreement signing, was cancelled after a heated exchange between Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance. White House officials, media representatives and Ukrainian delegates witnessed the altercation.
The White House press pool subsequently confirmed the cancellation of the scheduled press conference. Zelenskyy departed the West Wing after spending two hours and 20 minutes inside.
Initially, the Oval Office meeting began positively with cordial exchanges, including Trump’s comment about Zelenskyy: “I think he’s a great guy.”
The situation deteriorated when Zelenskyy attempted to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic stance with Vance before journalists and cameras. The vice president criticised Zelenskyy for engaging in photo opportunities with Democrats during the 2024 campaign and deemed his comments disrespectful to the administration.
Trump, speaking forcefully, called the Ukrainian president disrespectful and insisted he should express gratitude to the US, stating, “You don’t have the cards.”
He further declared, “You are either going to make a deal or we’re out and if we are out, you will fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
The meeting was intended to finalise an agreement establishing a joint US-Ukraine investment fund for rare-earth mineral extraction in Ukraine.
