https://arab.news/2nn3v
- It began with Vance telling Zelensky, 鈥淢r. President, with respect. I think it鈥檚 disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media鈥�
- Zelensky tried to object, prompting Trump to raise his voice and say, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e gambling with the lives of millions of people鈥�
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump shouted at Ukraine鈥檚 leader on Friday during an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, berating President Volodymyr Zelensky for 鈥済ambling with millions of lives鈥� and suggesting his actions could trigger World War III.
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute engagement devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensky 鈥� who had urged skepticism about Russia鈥檚 commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow鈥檚 years of broken commitments on the global stage.
It began with Vance telling Zelensky, 鈥淢r. President, with respect. I think it鈥檚 disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.鈥�
Zelensky tried to object, prompting Trump to raise his voice and say, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e gambling with the lives of millions of people.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e gambling with World War III, and what you鈥檙e doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that鈥檚 backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,鈥� Trump said.
It was an astonishing display of open antagonism in the Oval Office, a setting better known for somber diplomacy. Trump laid bare his efforts to coerce Zelensky to agree to giving the US an interest in his country鈥檚 valuable minerals and to push him toward a diplomatic resolution to the war on the American leader鈥檚 terms.
Earlier in the meeting Trump said the US would continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, but said he hoped that not too much aid would be forthcoming. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking forward to sending a lot of arms,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to getting the war finished so we can do other things.鈥�
Trump suggested that Zelensky wasn鈥檛 in a position to be demanding concessions.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not in a good position. You don鈥檛 have the cards right now,鈥� Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelensky. 鈥淲ith us you start having cards.鈥�
He also accused Zelensky of being 鈥渄isrespectful鈥� to the US
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,鈥� Trump told Zelensky at one point, as the two leaders talked over each other about past international support for Ukraine.
鈥淎gain, just say thank you,鈥� Vance interjected to Zelensky, blasting him for litigating 鈥渄isagreements鈥� in front of the press. Trump, though, suggested he was fine with the drama. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good for the American people to see what鈥檚 going on,鈥� he added.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not acting at all thankful,鈥� Trump said, before adding, 鈥淭his is going to be great television.鈥�
The harsh words came at a pivotal and precarious moment for Ukraine. Zelensky had planned to try to convince the White House to provide some form of US backing for Ukraine鈥檚 security against any future Russian aggression.
Zelensky is still expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the US aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come.
The deal, which is seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraine鈥檚 security. Earlier in the meeting, before tempers flared, Trump said the agreement would be signed soon in the East Room of the White House.
鈥淲e have something that is a very fair deal,鈥� Trump said, adding, 鈥淚t is a big commitment from the United States.鈥�
He said the US wants to see the killing in the war stopped, adding that US money for Ukraine should be 鈥減ut to different kinds of use like rebuilding.鈥�
Earlier, Zelensky called Russian President Vladimir Putin a terrorist and told Trump that Ukraine and the world need 鈥渘o compromises with a killer.鈥�
鈥淓ven during the war there are rules,鈥� he said.
As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia鈥檚 larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have pushed to ensure a potential US-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country鈥檚 future security.
Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace 鈥� especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands 鈥� would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease.
According to the preliminary economic agreement, seen by The Associated Press, the US and Ukraine will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50 percent of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.
Speaking about the rare earths agreement, Trump said the US is lacking in many such minerals while Ukraine has among the best on the planet. He said US interests plan to take those reserves and use them on everything from artificial intelligence operations to military weapons.
Asked about long-term security guarantee to guard against future Russian aggression, Trump says once the agreement is signed that a return to fighting was unlikely.
Trump, a Republican, has framed the emerging agreement as a chance for Kyiv to compensate the US for wartime aid sent under his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden.
But Zelensky has remained firm that specific assurances for Ukraine鈥檚 security must accompany any agreement giving US access to Ukraine鈥檚 resources.
This is Zelensky鈥檚 fifth White House visit, but his previous four came during the Biden administration. The Ukrainian president also was meeting with US senators during his time in Washington.
Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration. Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and US officials met with their Russian counterparts in 黑料社区 without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders 鈥� both dramatic breaks with previous US policy to isolate Putin over his invasion.
Trump later seemed to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war, and called Zelensky a 鈥渄ictator鈥� for not holding elections after the end of his regular term last year, though Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in place.