Feb. 28 (UPI) -- An Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday afternoon turned into a public shouting match before talks broke off on an economic deal on natural resources from the European nation that could lead to end of the war with Russia.
A joint news conference on Friday between the two leaders was canceled after the 45-minute Oval Office session with media members observing.
Trump and Zelansky expressed their differences after the meeting. Zelensky, during an interview with Fox News' Brett Baier, said he won't enter peace talks with Russia until there are security guarantees against another offensive and "when we will be ready with this, we will come to diplomacy."
And Trump, while leaving for his home in Palm Beach, Fla., said Zelensky doesn't want a cease-fire before a complicated agreement and "if he fights it out, it's not going to be pretty. Because without us, he doesn't win, let me tell you."
The meeting was a tense back and forth, including Trump badmouthing his predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleged Russian collusion on the 2020 election in a "phony witch hunt" and his victory over Biden. Also Trump again falsely described U.S. military commitment as more than the European nations' contributions.
Trump frequently talked over Zelensky.
"You're gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump said. "You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have."
Before the meeting turned hostile, Zelensky said: "Dear Americans, in all states, cities and communities, all those who value freedom and justice, who cherish it as strongly as we Ukrainians in our cities, in each and every family, I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart."
On X, he posted: "Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
He noted "this kind of spat is not good for both sides" and "it will be difficult for us" to defend his country from invading Russian military forces if Trump discontinues aid to Ukraine.
Trump wants the economic deal to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid for the country since the start of the war a little more than three years ago.
Ukraine's leader also said he doesn't need to apologize for what happened in the Oval Office, saying to Fox News: "I'm not sure that we did something bad."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in a two-against-one tag team in the White House, called Zelesnky "disrespectful" for trying to talk about the situation publicly and nott thanking Trump in public Friday.
Vance said "the path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy."
He noted the pathway of Joe Biden "thumping our chest and pretending that" the United States' words matter more than the United States' actions.
Zelensky fired back: "What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?"
The Ukrainian leader described the history of Ukraine's relationship with Russia since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
After the meeting Trump said: "This is going to be great television. We'll see about putting it [a deal] together.
The two leaders went to separate rooms. Ukrainians wanted talks to continue but Trump ordered the Ukrainians delegation to leave, a White House official told CNN.
Trump wrote on Truth Social about the session.
"We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today," he wrote. "Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It's amazing what comes out through emotion, and 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," Trump said.
Trump said Zelensky isn't ready for peace with Russia, which started the war.
"You're not really in good position right now," Trump told Zelensky about dictating peace terms.
Trump said that "we don't know exactly how much" money the U.S. will be putting into the "reconstruction investment fund" that's expected in the deal with Ukraine.
"We're going to be putting some money in a fund that we're going to get from the raw earth, that we're going to be taking and sharing in terms of revenue."
Working toward a deal to end war
Ukraine and European nations were excluded from peace talks in Saudi Arabia with Russia on Feb.
Trump hopes the economic deal will be the fabric of a peace deal as he said Putin is "very serious" about ending the war.
"Everyone was talking about the other day, all they talked about was security," Trump said. "I said, 'Let me make the deal first, I have to make the deal first.' I don't worry about security right now, we have to have a deal. Because right now, last week, 2,000 soldiers died on both sides, 2,000 and they're losing 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 a week. So, as we sit here and we talk, people are getting shot and dying on the battlefield."
The president has said Ukraine would have to forgo its hope to join NATO and may have to give up some territory to Russia to end the war.
Zelensky said he wants to "save our country, our values, our freedom, democracy. And, of course, no compromises" with Putin.
Trump said: "I think you're going to have to always make compromises. You can't do any deals without compromises. So certainly [Zelensky'[ going to have to make some compromises, but hopefully they won't be as big as some people think you're going to have to make. That's all we can do."
Putin, Trump vs. Zelensky
Trump noted Zelensky's anger toward Putin.
"You see the hatred he's got for Putin -- that's very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate," Trump said.
Trump said it is counterproductive to criticize Putin.
"Well, if I didn't align myself with both of them, you'd never have a deal. You want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say, 'Hi, Vladimir. How are we doing on the deal?' It doesn't work that way. I'm not aligned with Putin. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I'm aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with," Trump said.
The U.S. president Trump said a deal will not be achieved through toughness on Putin.
"You want to see tough? I could be so tough, but you're never gonna get a deal that way," he said.
Trump noted his relationship with Putin.
"Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," Trump told reporters. "He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia," Trump told reporters in front of Vance and Zelenskyy.
Reaction after meeting
An adviser to Putin reacted to the Oval Office exchange.
"Historic," Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy to Putin, wrote on X.
Russia's state-run news agency TASS said Zelensky "interrupted, argued and was rude to the press."
U.S. Rep Mike Lawer, R-N.Y., said Putin was "the only winner of today." He said the situation was a missed opportunity and "diplomacy is tough and often times there are serious differences of opinion and heated exchanges behind closed doors. Having this spill out into public view was a disaster - especially for Ukraine."
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News that he is a "fan" of Zelenskyy but his "poor judgment" and "lack of control." He told Fox News: "I don't know what's going to happen next. I don't know if you can repair the damage. I don't know if you can ever do a deal with Zelenskyy anymore."
Earlier in the day, Grahm was among senators who met with Zelensky in a cordial meeting.
Graham, who posted a video, said he urged Zelenskyy ahead of the meeting with Trump not to "take the bait" and to thank him extensively.
European nations' leaders backed Zelensky.
Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerboc said: "Ukraine is not alone. Germany together with our European allies stands united alongside Ukraine - and against the Russian aggression. Ukraine can build on unwavering support from Germany, Europe and beyond. Their defense of democracy and their quest for peace and security is ours."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: "Dear, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone."
And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X: "Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace."
An expert on Ukraine said Trump is "siding with the aggressor."
"Total bully tactics by the U.S. president and VP," Olga Tokariuk, an academy associate at the Ukraine Forum of British think tank Chatham House said in a post on X. This is not diplomacy. This is not neutrality. This is siding with the aggressor and trying to finish off the victim."
Ukrainian military officers also reacted to the shouting match.
One military officer, who goes by the call sign Aleks, said on Telegram he doesn't "give a damn" about the kind of peace Trump offers.
"It's better to fight to death than to freeze the war and then be drained again in three years," he said.
"Trump understands the aggressive manner of negotiations and is trying to crush Zelensky. There would have been no heated talks if Trump had offered at least a [cease-fire] on the contact line with minimal amendments," said Stanislav Buniatov, another Ukrainian military officer, in a Telegram post.
"We are talking about handing over Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and a number of cities in the Donetsk region to the Russians," Buniatov added. "How do you imagine giving away cities with people? Trump does, because we are not people to him, he is negotiating on behalf of Putin's interests, so don't stoop to that," he added.
Before the meeting
Zelenskyy flashed a thumb's up but didn't speak to reporters as he arrived at the White House. He wore a more formal black top rather than his usual military green T-shirt, prompting Trump to quip, "He's all dressed up."
The talks between the two leaders, the first in-person since Trump opened direct negotiations with Moscow in an effort to kickstart a peace effort, come after some testy recent exchanges.
Much of Ukraine's vast reserves of iron ore, titanium and manganese, as well as rare earth minerals such as lithium and graphite used to make EV batteries, that Trump wants to power the U.S. economy are located in areas of the country occupied or annexed by Russia, according to U.S. officials.
Trump said the agreement would form the basis for a more "sustainable future relationship" between the two countries, thereby helping deliver the long-term prosperity the Ukrainians need if they are to rebuild their war-ravaged country.
However, while only final details remain to be ironed out, Zelensky has made it clear that in return he wants a security guarantee against future Russian aggression which could come from Ukraine's European partners, but would still require U.S. involvement, largely for its deterrent effect.
Zelensky and Trump clashed after Zelensky initially rejected the plan, saying Ukraine wasn't for sale and then insisted it must come with security guarantees, but relations between the two men have been strained ever since Ukraine was left out of direct U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
The row escalated into a full-blown spat played out in public view, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being a "dictator without elections" and Zelensky retorting that Trump was living in "a disinformation bubble" concocted by Russia.
However, ahead of their meeting, Trump rowed back from his attack querying whether he used the "dictator" slur, called Zelesky "very brave" and insisted they got on "really well."
