U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a heated exchange in the Oval Office on Friday, casting uncertainty over efforts to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump angrily told Zelensky, as a meeting intended to ease tensions over the U.S.’s recent outreach to Russia only escalated them.
“You’re gambling with millions of lives. You’re risking World War Three, and what you’re doing is highly disrespectful to this country,” Trump added.
Zelensky was in Washington to sign an agreement on sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources and discuss a potential peace deal with Russia, despite Trump previously labeling him a dictator. The meeting followed a week of diplomatic efforts, with leaders from France and Britain visiting the White House to dissuade Trump from abandoning Kyiv.
However, tensions rose after U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that “diplomacy” was needed to end the conflict. Zelensky questioned what kind of diplomacy was being suggested, leading Vance to accuse him of being “disrespectful” in the president’s office.
Trump sided with his vice president as the discussion turned to whether the U.S. had done enough to prevent Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. The argument intensified.
“You’re not showing any gratitude,” Trump remarked.
“This is going to make business very difficult,” he added. “It will be tough to strike a deal unless attitudes change.”
Zelensky, maintaining a calmer tone, countered by accusing Trump and his team of raising their voices.
Trump alarmed U.S. allies and disrupted Washington’s Ukraine policy two weeks ago when he initiated direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin—without involving Kyiv. He told reporters on Friday that he had spoken with Putin “numerous times” since then.
As a condition for continued U.S. support, Trump has demanded preferential access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, though he has refused to commit to providing Kyiv with security guarantees in any potential peace agreement with Russia.
“We’ll be digging and digging for Ukraine’s resources,” Trump declared on Thursday, echoing his campaign slogan about U.S. energy independence.
The confrontation occurred despite Trump recently softening his stance on Zelensky. After previously calling him a “dictator without elections” and blaming Ukraine for Russia’s 2022 invasion, Trump appeared to shift his tone.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Trump said of Zelensky during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “We’re going to get along really well.”
Trump, a billionaire businessman, insists that securing access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth is necessary for the U.S. to recover the billions in military and financial aid it has provided.
Zelensky, ahead of his Washington visit, indicated that U.S. and Ukrainian officials would determine the specifics of security guarantees and financial commitments in the proposed agreement.
However, Trump—who recently said he trusts Putin to “keep his word” on a ceasefire—has remained noncommittal on security assurances for Ukraine.
While Britain and France have offered to deploy peacekeepers if a deal is reached, they insist that a U.S. “backstop,” including intelligence support and possibly airpower, is essential.
Trump and Putin previously announced plans to meet following their February 12 phone call, but no date has been set.
Meanwhile, despite diplomatic maneuvering, Russia’s military assault on Ukraine continues. On Friday, Russian forces launched an infantry assault from the Kursk region, near areas retaken by Ukraine last summer, Kyiv reported.
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