- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’svisit to the White House has been cut short after he got into a heated exchange with US president Donald Trump and vice-president JD Vance, who accused him of “disrespectful” behaviour during their talks in the Oval Office.
- In a social media update, Trump said he has determined that Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations”, and said the Ukrainian leader “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office”. “He can come back when he is ready for peace,” he added.
- In their earlier talks, Trump repeatedly told Zelenskyy that he was “gambling with the lives of millions, with the third world war”,and telling him to stop holding out for further security guarantees saying “you’re either going to make a deal or we are out”.
- Trump appeared to mask differences by drawing false equivalence between the two sides of the war and positioning himself “for both Ukraine and Russia” as he pursues a peace deal, in stark contrast to Zelenskyy’s comments about Putin as a “killer” and “terrorist” who invaded Ukraine, and with whom he was not ready to compromise on the Ukrainian territory.
- The pair repeatedly clashed over their view of Russia and the negotiations, as well as the extent of the European support for Ukraine.
- Zelenskyy has left the White House moments ago, with the press conference between the two leaders, where they were expected to sign a deal on minerals, also cancelled.
