Presidents of Ukraine and the USA, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, verbally clashed several times in the White House on Friday; the Ukrainian leader urged his American counterpart to be careful with Russia, and Trump told him that he was gambling with World War III.
The two leaders met in the Oval Office ahead of the expected signing of the deal on rare minerals. Zelensky openly criticized Trump for his soft approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump told Zelensky at one point, warning him to be more grateful.
“What you’re doing is disrespecting the country — this country that supported you a lot more than a lot of people thought they should have,” Trump said.
Zelensky replied: “I have a lot of respect for your country.”
US Vice President James David Vance intervened by claiming that Zelensky disrespects Trump because he came to the Oval Office to argue, with which Trump agreed.
The Ukrainian also rejected Trump’s claims that Ukrainian cities were turned into ruins in three years.
“Your country is in big trouble,” Trump said.
He emphasized that Putin wants to reach an agreement.
“People are dying, you’re running out of soldiers,” Trump told Zelensky as their meeting turned into a vote-off.
The US president told Zelensky that he had to reach an agreement or the US would withdraw.
Zelensky, on the other hand, called on Trump to “not make compromises with a murderer”, thus referring to Putin.
The Ukrainian president also said that Europe “really helped” Ukraine and that it “really gave a lot”.
“But much less than us,” Trump replied, which Zelensky immediately denied.
After the closed meeting, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference where they are expected to sign an agreement on rare minerals.
