Tempers had flared even before the Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meeting began. It took just 90 seconds for weeks of intense diplomacy to fall apart. In the Oval Office on Friday, President Donald Trump openly reprimanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, making it clear that, despite relentless efforts from US allies, he remains determined to end Russia’s invasion—whether or not the terms work in Ukraine’s favour.
As President Donald Trump greeted Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, he told reporters it was an honour to welcome the Ukrainian leader for an “exciting moment” — signing a landmark deal securing access to critical minerals in Ukraine meant to pave the way for a peace agreement with Russia.
Less than two hours later, Zelensky was rushing out of the West Wing into an idling SUV, his relationship with Ukraine’s most critical ally in tatters.
Prospects for a signing ceremony — much less a landmark accord with Russia resolving three years of conflict — had vaporised. And as Trump posted social media missives blasting Zelensky as an ingrate who had insulted the United States, stunned officials in Washington and across the world wondered if repairing the rift was even possible.
From the moment the Oval Office event began, the dynamic between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was noticeably different from the two other press events Trump held with world leaders this week.
Tempers had flared even before the meeting began. The Ukrainian president was apparently presented with a minerals for security agreement by the Trump administration prior to the press briefing, but the deal included no security guarantees to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion.
Before his US visit, Zelensky repeatedly warned that Kyiv needed these security assurances to reach a mineral agreement. Even so, he angered Trump and Vance by rejecting the deal.
