In a tense meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The exchange included Vance questioning Zelenskyy's gratitude, asking, "Have you said thank you once this entire meeting?"
The meeting took place during Zelenskyy's visit to the U.S., where Vance suggested that the key to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict lay in U.S. diplomatic intervention. "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance admonished Zelenskyy.
He further criticized Ukraine's handling of the war, stating, "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country."
Zelenskyy retorted, questioning Vance's understanding of the situation on the ground in Ukraine. "Have you've ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?" he asked. Vance responded by accusing Zelenskyy of conducting a "propaganda tour" and questioned the Ukrainian leader's respect for the U.S. administration.
According to Fox News, the exchange escalated as Zelenskyy pointed out that war brings problems for everyone involved, hinting at potential future repercussions for the U.S. Trump quickly dismissed this, stating, "You don't know that," and warned Zelenskyy against predicting America's future feelings towards the conflict.
The conversation took a turn when Trump suggested that Ukraine was in a weak position and was "gambling with World War III." He accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the U.S., to which Zelenskyy defended himself by stating he was merely responding to Vance's questions.
Vance interjected once more, questioning Zelenskyy's gratitude towards the U.S. "You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country," Vance said. Zelenskyy responded by accusing Vance of speaking "loudly," a claim that Trump refuted.
The meeting concluded with Trump warning Zelenskyy about the dire situation his country was in. "Your country is in big trouble," Trump said. "Wait a minute. No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble."
Zelenskyy's visit to the U.S. followed Trump's announcement that peace negotiations to end the war between Ukraine and Russia were nearing completion. The Trump administration is also working on an agreement that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraines minerals in exchange for the support the U.S. has provided since the war broke out in 2022.
Trump also commented on the potential difficulties of a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S., stating, "They don't like each other, I can tell you that, it's not a love match."
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