Talks between Kyiv and Washington break down as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and United States President Donald Trump find themselves in a heated argument at the White House’s Oval Office on Friday, February 28.
Zelenskyy was at the White House to formalize a minerals deal that Kyiv hopes will strengthen ties with Washington and in turn, incentivize the Trump administration to support Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.
In a meeting before the press at the Oval Office, Zelenskyy praises the United States’ defense system and highlights how this can be beneficial to their cause. He then explained the depth of destruction the war has brought to Ukraine and shares the imagery of Ukrainian children being taken and ‘reeducated‘ in Russia, and his desire to free Ukrainians imprisoned in Moscow.
The talks break down following a question from a Polish journalist asking Trump about his message to people who worry that he might be cozying with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump clarifies he is not aligned with Putin nor Zelenskyy “Well, if I didn’t align myself with both of them, you’d never have a deal…. I’m not aligned with Putin. I’m aligned with the United States of America and for the good of the world.”
Referring to Zelenskyy, Trump adds, “you see the hatred he’s got for Putin. It’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate. He’s got tremendous hatred and I understand that but I can tell you the other side isn’t exactly in love with, you know, him either.”
Trump’s Vice President JD Vance, who was also present in the Oval Office, went on a brief tirade on how Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden’s methods against Russia did not work. “What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That’s what President Trump is doing.”
Following Vance’s statement, Zelenskyy interjected with a refresher on all the atrocities Putin has done since 2014, when he annexed Crimea, up until 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. He emphasized that his diplomatic efforts with Russia have ended in failure, then asked Vance “He killed our people, and he didn’t exchange prisoners. What kind of diplomacy are you talking about, JD?”
After a lengthy and heated exchange, Trump and Vance emphasized Zelenskyy’s “lack of respect” and highlighted how the Ukrainian leader should “be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Before asking Zelenskyy to leave, Trump said, “you got to be more thankful because let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. It’s going to be a tough deal to make because the attitudes have to change.”
“I’m not playing cards, I’m very serious, Mr. President,” Zelenskyy replied.
An agreement between Kyiv and Washington to jointly develop Ukraine’s rich natural resources was left unsigned following the exchange. – Rappler.com