According to a White House official, after a tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that led to a canceled press conference, the cancellation of a minerals deal, and Trump’s request for the Ukrainian president to leave, discussions regarding a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia came to a halt on Friday.
During their meeting on Friday, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the United States and said the president of Ukraine was not prepared to negotiate peace for his nation.
On Friday, Trump said in a Truth Social post “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.” “I don’t want advantage; I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
In exchange for the support the United States has given Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy was anticipated to sign a minerals pact that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals during his visit to Washington as part of discussions to end the war in that nation.
However, when things went south, Trump and Vice President JD Vance alleged that Zelenskyy was in a “bad position” at the negotiation table and that he was not appreciative of the assistance the United States has given him over the years.
Trump said, “You’re playing cards.” “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”
Zelenskyy said that war means “everybody has problems, even you” and that the U.S. would feel the war “in the future, following comments from Vance that Ukraine was suffering from manpower and military recruiting problems.
President Donald Trump replied, saying, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.” “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
He added, “You are in no position to dictate that; remember that.”
Vance asked Zelenskyy whether he had ever said “thank you once this entire meeting,” to which Zelenskyy responded that Vance was talking “loudly.”
However, his reply didn’t sit well with Trump, and he responded, saying, “Wait a minute,” Trump said. “No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.”
Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have escalated in recent weeks as the U.S. has worked with Ukraine and Russia to advance a peace negotiation. Following U.S. officials meeting with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 without Ukraine, Zelenskyy told reporters that “nobody decides anything behind our back.”
Trump told reporters while meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday that a peace negotiation was in the final stages, but he exercised caution about sharing details concerning a peacekeeping force in the region until a deal was finalized.
Trump said, “I think we’re very well advanced on a deal.” “But we have not made a deal yet. So I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal. I like to get things done.”
