Egypt Daily News – In an extraordinary meeting at the White House, a heated exchange took place between President Donald Trump, his Vice President James Vance, and their guest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the presence of several journalists.
Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with the risk of igniting World War III,” stating, “What you’re doing shows a lack of respect for the country that has supported you more than it should have, according to many.”
Zelensky responded, saying, “I have the utmost respect for your country.”
Trump said, “Your country is in big trouble,” to which Zelensky replied, “I know, I know.” Trump added, “If we hadn’t given you military equipment, this war would have ended in just two weeks.”
As voices grew louder in front of the cameras, Trump remarked, “It will be a difficult agreement to sign because behaviors must change.”
Zelensky responded, “Actually, in three days. I heard that from Putin.”
Trump replied, “At this rate, getting anything done will be extremely difficult.”
Following this heated exchange, Zelensky left the White House, and a scheduled joint press conference between the two presidents was canceled. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his Ukrainian counterpart is “not ready” for peace, marking his first remarks following the controversial encounter.
According to the American network CBS, the Ukrainian delegation left the Oval Office after the heated exchange and moved to a “separate room.” There, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked them to leave the White House.
Officials stated that they attempted to intervene to defuse the situation after the confrontation between the two presidents. According to Al Arabiya, Zelensky said, “Trump welcomed me to the White House to insult me.”
After the meeting turned into a heated verbal confrontation, Trump said, “Your people are brave, but you need to reach an agreement, or we will withdraw.”
Trump rebuked Zelensky while they were seated in the Oval Office, demanding that he be more “grateful,” saying, “You are not in a position to dictate how we should feel.”
He added, “I don’t think this will end well. You will fight to the end, but you have no cards.”
After his clash with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the American people.
He added that Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, emphasizing that his country is working precisely toward that goal.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated on Friday that “peace without guarantees is impossible.” He stressed on Platform X, saying, “President Zelensky is right. A ceasefire without guarantees will lead to a Russian occupation of the entire European continent.”
Additionally, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk asserted that no one has the right to forget that Russia is the aggressor in this war and that Ukraine is the victim of aggression, as he put it.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that President Volodymyr Zelensky “has the courage and strength to defend what is right.”
Sybiha wrote in a post on Platform X, “He is defending Ukraine and the goal of a just and lasting peace. We have always been and will always remain grateful to America for its support.”
