Everything About the Public Argument Between Trump & Zelensky That Led to a Meeting Being Cut Short

By
George Yang
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If you wake up this morning to a screaming match between two world leaders in the White House, you might think that your television is on Netflix.

No, it’s CNA, and indeed, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were arguing in the White House over…erm, not saying “thank you”?

Here’s what happened.

Everything About the Public Argument Between Trump & Zelensky That Led to a Meeting Being Cut Short

The White House witnessed an extraordinary shouting match on Friday, 28 February 2025, between President Trump and President Zelensky that quickly escalated into a diplomatic disaster.

What began as a meeting to sign a US-Ukrainian minerals deal deteriorated into a heated exchange that played out in front of diplomats and media representatives.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky, accusing him of being ungrateful for American support during the three-year war against Russia.

The meeting started on relatively civil terms as they discussed plans for a mineral deal, but quickly turned into a fiery argument after Vance stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.

When Zelensky attempted to explain how Russia had violated earlier agreements, the situation rapidly deteriorated.

“You’re right now, not really in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position,” Trump told the Ukrainian president.

Zelensky tried to respond, saying, “Please, you think that if you will speak very loudly…” to JD Vance before Trump interrupted him.

“He’s not speaking loudly,” Trump interjected. “No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is not winning.”

A central theme of Trump and Vance’s criticism was that Zelensky wasn’t showing enough appreciation for US support.

“You’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest, that’s not a nice thing,” Trump said.

Vance directly challenged the Ukrainian leader: “Have you even once said thank you in this meeting? Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”

Zelensky replied that he had expressed gratitude “a lot of times,” but his response didn’t seem to satisfy Trump or Vance.

The confrontation reached its climax when Trump issued an ultimatum to Zelensky.

“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump declared. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

Trump also accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” and said that Ukraine does not “have the cards” to continue its war with Russia.

After approximately 40 minutes of the meeting, Trump abruptly ended the meeting, saying, “I think we’ve seen enough. What do you think? This is going to be great television, I will say that.”

Viral Reaction

As the public clash unfolded, a video of Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, went viral on social media.

In the 12-second clip, the diplomat can be seen hiding her face behind her hands in a facepalm gesture, with a visibly embarrassed expression.

White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino mockingly shared the video on X, writing: “Ukrainian Ambassador understands that Zelensky is a complete and total disaster.”

Following the confrontation, Trump huddled with his top advisers in the Oval Office before deciding that Zelensky had to leave.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz informed Zelensky that the visit was over.

The Ukrainian delegation, which had been waiting in another room for about an hour hoping to salvage the visit, was asked to leave the White House without signing the minerals deal or having the scheduled lunch with the President.

Trump later posted on Truth Social: “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. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

When asked about the incident afterward, Zelensky refused to apologize for the row with Trump, saying, “I’m not sure that we did something bad.”

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George Yang
Email: [email protected]