Zelenskyy Faces Hostile Reception from Trump and Vance in Contentious Oval Office Meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington hopeful that finalizing a minerals deal—strongly advocated by President Donald Trump—would strengthen U.S.-Ukraine relations and ensure continued American support.

Instead, he walked into a confrontation.

During a tense Oval Office exchange on Friday, Trump and Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized the wartime leader, accusing him of failing to properly acknowledge U.S. assistance and overestimating his leverage.

“You’ve done enough talking. You’re not winning this,” Trump told Zelenskyy, his tone growing heated. “You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us.”

The meeting had started amicably, focused on economic agreements and Trump’s ambiguous pledges regarding U.S. support for Ukraine beyond its war with Russia. However, more than 40 minutes in, the discussion took a confrontational turn.

Vance, who had remained mostly silent, took offense at Zelenskyy’s characterization of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “terrorist” known for breaking promises. Addressing the Ukrainian leader in front of assembled journalists, Vance pushed back.

“I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance said. “Right now, you’re forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”

As tensions escalated, Trump—who had earlier praised Ukraine’s resilience and left open the possibility of U.S. security guarantees—became visibly animated. Zelenskyy, attempting to defend his position, invited Vance to visit Ukraine and see the war firsthand, but the vice president dismissed the offer as a “propaganda tour” designed to prolong Western support.

The heated encounter underscored the shifting dynamics between Washington and Kyiv as Ukraine seeks to secure continued U.S. backing amid growing skepticism from Trump’s administration.

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