It would have been a victory moment for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a victory that was a week after weeks of manipulation of the Oval Office meeting to show the bloodiest war in the U.S. generations.
Instead, the meeting was broken down into insults. Mr. Zelensky, who had stayed in his country with fierce attacks on Russia and assembled much of the world to support Ukraine, shook his head as President Trump said he believed Russia was going to maintain the ceasefire.
He was accused by Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance for arguing that Russia posed a threat in Ukraine. Sometimes, when the American leader scolded him and downplayed the prospect of aid for his army, one corner of Mr. Zelensky’s lips curled, and the force was caught in a vicious war of war with Russia.
Mr. Trump sometimes raised his voice, scolding Mr. Zelensky and said, “You don’t have a card.”
Mr. Zelensky replied: “I’m not playing cards.”
The escalation of the Oval Office was a critical moment in the war, with Ukraine struggling to keep Russia fighting amid consumption in the east of the country, while the Trump administration directly ceased fire with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Mr. Zelensky did not withdraw from what he called the key national interest of Ukraine as a seat for the ceasefire talks. Air defense to protect Ukrainian cities and power plants; and U.S. military backups for European-led peacekeeping forces.
But it is not clear that Mr. Zelensky’s condensation relationship with Mr. Trump has left Ukraine, which has been heavily dependent on U.S. support for the past three years and has tried for weeks to promote a mineral rights deal to satisfy the Trump administration.
From the beginning of the diplomatic visit to the sudden end, it was clear that there was signs of repulsion between Mr. Zelensky and the Trump administration.
Mr. Zelensky said he did not wear a suit to show solidarity with the soldiers, wearing simple, military-style clothes he usually wears at official events. When he arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump told reporters: “He was dressed up today!”
Later, in the Oval Office, a reporter from the right-wing One America News asked Mr. Zelensky, saying: “Do you have a suit? Many Americans have problems with you disrespecting the dignity of this office.”
Mr. Zelensky, a former comedian, poked and said he would wear a suit after the war was over. “Maybe something like yours?” he added. “Maybe better, I don’t know.”
The confrontation with Mr. Trump shortened the meeting, canceled the signing of a highly touted agreement on Ukraine’s mineral rights and made Ukraine seem to lose the support of its strongest supporters.
Diplomacy, Ukraine hopes to interact with the United States during the ceasefire, which will be conducted on two tracks, while the Trump administration talks with Russia and Ukraine respectively. The Minerals Agreement (the expected signing is the reason for Mr. Zelensky’s visit) is intended to open a path for the U.S.-Ukrainian branch of these talks, while providing Mr. Trump with reasons for any spending related to ensuring the ceasefire.
Before leaving Kiev, Mr. Zelensky pointed out that Ukraine’s position was that he wanted the Trump administration to support it. He said that unless the Ukrainian army has a ceasefire, it will not put down its weapons and that Ukraine will insist on maintaining its army’s battle in a “maximum number” way, rather than accepting its troops’ hats.
Militaryly, Ukraine does not seem to be under the danger of major failure, at least by the standards of past close-range calls, including Russian troops heading to the outskirts of Kiev on the first day of the war. The initial Russian attack put Mr. Zelensky’s presidential office about 12 miles from the enemy.
Military analysts say Ukraine has enough ammunition to last until April or May without other U.S. supplies. Ukraine relies on U.S. Patriot air defense missiles, the only system capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, such as the Kinzar hypersonic missile launched into Kiev in Kiev.
Western aid, including satellite surveillance and rocket launchers from the United States, gives Ukraine an advantage. However, Ukraine’s dependence on US ammunition, howitzers and armored vehicles have disappeared, as Ukraine’s weapons production continues to grow and explode drones, and domestic drones, which have surpassed all other weapons in terms of lethality.
In a series of diplomacy before the Washington Conference, Mr. Zelensky tried to support Europe. He was scheduled to hold a summit of 18 European leaders in London on Sunday, and expected a commitment to European aid. It is unclear whether heating exchanges in the Oval Office will prompt European leaders to expand support for Ukraine.
The public scolding of the U.S. president is a compelling key point, a leader who received applause from Republicans and Democrats in Congress two years ago.
But his style is more or less effective, even if it shocks some observers. Mr. Zelensky’s dramatic emotional exchange in the early stages of the war helped to boost the spirits in the home and bring aid from allies. Later, it attracted complaints and led to a British defence minister saying he should express his gratitude.
When asked Friday night in an interview with Fox News whether he owe the president an apology, Mr. Zelensky said: “I’m not sure we’re not doing well.
Mr. Zelensky arrived in Washington after a long and difficult negotiations, granting the Ukrainian government half of its future income from natural resources to some U.S.-controlled funds.
Mr. Zelensky has delayed the terms of the deal, prompting Mr. Trump to falsely say that Ukraine has begun a war. Mr. Zelensky hit back at Mr. Trump living in a bubble of “false information”.
Mr. Zelensky’s performance in promoting a better deal prompted some Ukraine to challenge, and some asked why he would risk confronting Merck leaders like Trump. Mr. Zelensky attended a meeting on Friday with photos of the war victims, apparently ready to argue again about Ukraine’s views.
Instead, Friday’s encounter must upset millions of already exhausted Ukrainians, risking shifting frontlines and missile attacks.
Mr. Zelensky has long tried to go a fine with Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Mr. Putin and pushed Ukraine to help undermine his political rivals during his first term, resulting in his first impropriation. For months, Mr. Zelensky tried to avoid angering the leader of a major ally, but stood firmly when he felt he had no choice, such as Mr. Trump’s claim to the war began.
This approach won praise and criticism from politicians in Ukraine and brought popularity to Mr. Zelensky, who was seen as a conflict of bullying, insulting and falsehood, and a direct conflict for Ukrainians.
But Mr. Zelensky’s approach apparently didn’t work on Friday.
At the meeting, he showed Mr. Trump photos of Ukrainian prisoners of war, who said he was abused in Russia, pointing out that the war is far greater than the potential profits of natural resources.
These photos are not visible to members of the media. However, Ukrainian prisoners have returned from Russian prisons because of those figures with a tough railway covered by bruises. This was proof of a keen invitation from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Mr. Trump a day ago, a graceful invitation from King Charles attended the royal banquet.
Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak urged the White House to sign the agreement during talks in Kiev’s mineral agreement, a person familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Zelensky believes the meeting is a diplomatic success – indicating that Mr. Trump will meet him first, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is second. The man said that the Trump administration’s special envoy for the ceasefire negotiations to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, had suggested not to hold a White House meeting, but Ukrainian negotiators insisted.
Mineral transactions and ceasefire talks appeared to be hampered after Friday’s diplomatic collapse.
During the White House exchanges, the two leaders debated a key area of dispute: whether a ceasefire should be made before a deal on security guarantees. Mr Trump said the enforcement of the ceasefire was only “2%” of the mission to end the war. Mr. Zelensky insists that Mr. Putin cannot be trusted and needs guarantees, so he calls it the cornerstone of future peace in Ukraine.
“We will never agree without a security guarantee,” he said.
Eve Sampson Contribution report.
