The future of United States support for Ukraine stands in doubt after a high-profile meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump devolved into a shouting match.
The two leaders – along with US Vice President JD Vance – clashed on Friday in front of reporters at the Oval Office over the future of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There were indications the meeting would be prickly from the moment Zelenskyy arrived at the White House after Trump greeted the Ukrainian leader with a quip about his outfit.
Tensions soon ramped up as it became clear the leaders disagreed over the terms of a minerals deal, which would give the US broad access to Ukraine’s rare earths as repayment for Washington’s support for Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
Zelenskyy emphasised that any agreement needed to include real security assurances for Ukraine, something the US under Trump has so far avoided.
Tensions spiked as Trump touted his friendly relations with President Vladimir Putin, before he blamed Zelenskyy’s animosity towards the Russian leader for stalling peace talks.
The news conference descended into outright aggression as Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful”, before asking him, “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
The meeting ended prematurely, before the Ukrainian leader and his delegation were ushered out of the White House.
The rare earth minerals deal also went unsigned and its future now looks uncertain. An unnamed White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Reuters news agency, said Trump is not currently interested in reviving it.
That same official claimed the Ukrainian delegation began “begging” to sign the deal after being told to leave the White House.
Zelenskyy took to X soon after the meeting to thank Trump, “Congress, and the American people”.
“Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote.
The Ukrainian leader then appeared on US conservative TV network Fox News, in an interview in which he was repeatedly asked if he would apologise to Trump.
The Ukrainian leader declined to do so, but said he regretted the public spat, saying it was “not good for both sides”.
“I’m not sure that we did something bad,” Zelenskyy said. “I cannot change the Ukrainian attitude to Russia. They are killers for us.”
But when asked in the interview if the relationship with Trump could be salvaged, Zelenskyy replied: “of course”.
‘He should apologise’
Several high-profile Trump administration officials have publicly condemned Zelenskyy and accused him of disrespecting the US president, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the meeting as a “fiasco” and questioned whether the Ukrainian leader truly wanted peace.
“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” Rubio told CNN.
“That active, open undermining of efforts to bring about peace is deeply frustrating for everyone who’s been involved in communications with them leading up to today, and I think he should apologise for wasting our time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, top Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also labelled the meeting an “utter disaster”, as he called for Zelenskyy to apologise or for Ukraine to “get someone new” to lead the country.
Graham – a vocal Ukraine supporter and loyal Trump ally – said he advised Zelenskyy before the meeting to focus on the mineral deal and avoid discussing security guarantees and the ceasefire with Russia.
“I talked to Zelenskyy this morning – don’t take the bait. President Trump was in a very good mood last night,” Graham said.
“I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again,” he added.
Zelenskyy has found support from senior Democratic Party legislators in both houses of Congress, who have slammed Trump and Vance’s exchange with the Ukrainian president.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of doing Putin’s “dirty work”, before House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries branded the spat “appalling”.
“President Trump and his administration continue to embarrass America on the world stage,” Jeffries said.
A statement from 14 top Democratic governors also accused Trump and Vance of using the Oval Office to “berate” Zelenskyy “for not trusting Vladimir Putin’s word”.
“Americans must protect our strong democratic values on the world stage instead of undermining President Zelenskyy’s work to fight for his nation and the freedom of his people after being invaded by Russia,” it said.
Moscow backed the Trump administration soon after the meeting, with Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs labelling Zelenskyy a “scumbag”. Viktor Orban – Hungary’s far-right, populist prime minister – also praised Trump for standing “bravely for peace”.
But the overwhelming international response has been one of support for Kyiv.
In the hours since the spat, several Western nations condemned the Trump administration’s conduct, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said his country “will continue to stand with Ukraine”.
“Russia illegally and unjustifiably invaded Ukraine. For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience. Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all,” he said.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also labelled the exchange “serious and disheartening”.
“That Trump accuses Zelenskyy of gambling with World War III is deeply unreasonable and a statement I distance myself from. Norway stands with Ukraine in their struggle for freedom,” he said.
