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A high meeting between Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski and his United States colleague Donald Trump has become a calling match as the two leaders have encountered Russia's future in Ukraine.
On Friday, Zelenski arrived at the White House to discuss a proposed deal to give US access to the rare minerals of Ukraine, while demanding the security of US security.
But as the two leaders sat at a press conference in the oval office, the atmosphere quickly curves, with Trump shouting in Zelenski, telling him to be “grateful” for the US support.
“Either you make a deal, or we're out,” Trump told Zelenski.
Shortly after the end of the meeting, Trump released a statement on social media, as if he had withdrawn the United States from negotiating with Ukraine and throwing Zelenski from the White House. In the end, no deal was signed.
“I have determined that President Zelenski is not ready for peace if America is involved,” Trump writes. “He does not respect the United States of America in his hidden oval. He can return when he is ready for peace. “
For more than a decade, Ukraine has been confronted with territorial invasions from Russia, the culmination of a full -scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
The international community largely denies Russia's actions as illegal, and the US is a major partner in Ukraine's defense, engaging $ 65.9 billion in military assistance since the beginning of the war three years ago.
But this support has been in doubt since Trump took office in January. Earlier this month, Trump spoke directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sent us envoys to negotiate a peaceful deal with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, without Ukrainian or European participation.
Zelenski and other European leaders have condemned these proceedings as they eliminate their interests.
Since then, Trump has strengthened the tension, calling Zelenski a “dictator” for not having a wartime election and accusing him of taking advantage of the American Sauce Train.
Zelenski was the third European leader to visit Trump this week after French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Kayer Starmer. But unlike those leaders who used to praise Trump, Zelenski openly contradicts Trump and called Putin a “killer and terrorist.”
Here are the key assumes from their meeting.
Fractures appear quickly when meeting
From the moment Zelenski arrived in the White House, there were signs that the meeting would be prickly.
Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on the White House Alley with handshake and quip for his outfit, which was a black version of his usual military uniform – a symbol of his president's president's status.
“He's dressed today,” Trump said aloud, pointing to Zelenski's clothing.
While the two leaders settled into the oval office for their first press appearance for the day, Trump started at his usual conversational points, announcing the transaction to access the rare minerals of Ukraine.
“We will sign the conference agreement in the east room for a while, until immediately after noon,” Trump said.
“We have something that is a very honest deal and we are glad to get in and dig, dig, dig and work and get part of the rare land.”
But very quickly it became clear that the two leaders are not on the same page for the deal.
Zelenski stressed that any transaction needed to include real security guarantees for Ukraine, something that the United States under Trump has so far escaped.
“I hope this document, the first document, will be the first step towards real security guarantees for Ukraine,” said the Ukrainian president. “Our people, our children, really count it.”
Clash over relationships with Putin
Trump also quickly turned to his continuing negotiations with Putin, saying they had “very good discussions” together and would end the war.
Earlier, the US president had said it was “unlikely that” Ukraine would return to its borders before 2014 before Russia began to seize territories like Crimea and Donetsk. He also claims that Ukraine's attempts to join NATO's military alliance are non -standard.
Critics accused Trump of giving Putin early discounts by making such remarks. On Friday, Zelenski stressed that Trump's support would be “decisive” for maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity.
“I really rely on your strong position to stop Putin,” Zelenski said. “I hope we can stop it together. But it is very important for us to save our country, our values, our freedom and democracy. And of course, without compromise with the killer of our territories. “
Trump, for his part, tried to blame Zeanski's hostility to Putin for stopped peace talks. In the meantime, he is positioned as an “arbitrator” and a “peacemaker” between the two warring countries.
“You see the hatred it has for Putin. This is difficult to make a deal with such hatred, “Trump told reporters, pointing to Zelenski.
He also doubled in his claim that Ukraine will have to give up something to reach peace with Russia: “I think you will always have to compromise. You can't make any deals without compromise. “
But the Ukrainian leader stepped back, saying that war was not in the clash of personalities, but for a violation of his country's sovereignty.
“Putin will never stop. And he will go further and further, “Zelenski said as the tension began to boil in the room. “He hates us. It's not about me. He hates the Ukrainians. He thinks we are not a nation. “
As the press conference became open aggression, with the fingers removing and raising voices, Trump began to throw himself at both Zelenski and reporters, pressing him whether he could trust Putin not to disturb the potential ceasefire.
“What if something? What if a bomb falls on your head right now? “Trump broke up to a reporter before offering a rage, more special, Putin's sympathetic protection.
He seems to have put Putin as an ally in his political rivalry with the Democrats. Trump cited as evidence of the federal investigation into his presidential campaign in 2016, which examines that Russia has intervened on behalf of Trump.
– Putin went through a lot with me. He went through a false witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia. Do you ever hear about this deal? “Trump asked, calling the investigation a democratic scam.” He had to go through it. “
Charges of “disrespect”
The Trump team has repeated well -worn accusations that the administration of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, is responsible for resolving the war in Ukraine to start first.
As the tension began to grow, US Vice President JD Vance swung against Biden, accusing him of “tossing (his) chests” to end the war. In contrast, he added that the Trump administration is focused on diplomacy.
But Zelenski has taken this assessment and questioned what kind of diplomacy with Putin will even be possible, given that the Russian leader has already violated the 2014 agreement to stop fighting in Donetsk and Luhanski.
At this point, AD Hominem attacks have started seriously.
“I'm talking about the type of diplomacy that will end the destruction of your country,” Vance replied. “I think it's disrespectful to come to the Oval Cabinet and try to challenge this to the US media.”
When Zelenski pointed out that Vance had never been in Ukraine and did not feel first -hand the impact of war, Trump had an angrily shortened.
“Don't tell us what we will feel. We are trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we will feel, ”he said.
“You bet on the lives of millions of people. You bet on a gambling with World War II, “Trump continued, talking over Zelenski. “You bet on gambling with World War II and what you do is very disrespectful to the country – this country.”
Zelenski has repeatedly tried to intervene that he was really hoping to stop the war, but it seemed that Trump looked on a roll, like the Beduran leader of the Ukrainian leader, that he was insufficient gratitude.
“You have to be grateful. You don't have the cards. You are buried there. Your people die. You are declining with soldiers, “Trump said. “You have been empowered to be a difficult person and I don't think you will be a difficult person without the United States.”
Minutes later the meeting was at the end.
Uncertain future
This afternoon has not been signed a deal for rare lands of minerals. A second press conference scheduled for later during the day was canceled. And Zelenski had soon noticed to get out of the White House in a dark vehicle, as a line of representatives of the Ukrainian delegation came out.
The war of words soon moved to the Internet, where each leader offered remarks about what had happened in the oval office.
“He was very learned, which could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,” Trump writes on his platform, Truth Social.
But he doubled from his accusations that Zelenski was disrespectful in his allegations.
“He does not respect the United States of America in his hidden oval office,” Trump said. “He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
In the meantime, Zelenskyy offered a more short, more neutral recognition of the meeting, focusing on his gratitude for the support of the United States.
“Thank America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @potus, Congress and the American people, “writes the Ukrainian leader, using the Social Media Handle for the US President. “Ukraine needs a fair and lasting peace and we work for it.”
Zelenski is now heading for London to meet with European leaders with the fate of the US-Ukraine Alliance in the air.
Russian leaders quickly applauded Trump and Vance's performance during the meeting.
“How Trump and Vance refrained from the impact that Scumbag is a miracle of restraint,” writes Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in Telegram.
But many prominent European leaders gathered for Zelenski's defense.
“Dear Zelenski, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk on social media published.
The next is unclear – but analysts say that a historical meeting may not mark the end of negotiations between the two allies, especially when the United States is looking for sources for rare minerals on Earth to compete with China.
“I do not think that means cancellation of the deal,” said Samuel Ramani, an analyst in an interview with Royal United Services in the United Kingdom.
“I think the deal showed a lot of flexibility. Initially, the United States wanted over $ 500 billion in minerals. The Ukrainians were able to obtain water that fits into something that was a more recent reconstruction agreement, not something that was just a purely military assistance that had been provided before. “
But experts agree that the full degree of falling out is yet to be seen.
