Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump have argued in a heated meeting in front of the cameras in the White House’s Oval Office. Trump called Zelenskyy “disrespectful”, with Zelenskyy saying there should be “no compromises” with “killer” Putin. Watch Sky News below for the latest.
Friday 28 February 2025 18:50, UK
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By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor, from Ukraine
The fiery and very public bust-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a disaster for Ukraine and its European allies and a triumph for Russia.
The spectacle of the US president berating his Ukrainian counterpart and telling him he is gambling with World War 3 – played out on television in the Oval Office – was hard to witness.
Zelenskyy – looking increasingly uncomfortable – decided to fight back. He likely felt he had little choice but to defend himself and his war-torn country.
But this act of defiance drew even more condemnation from Trump as well as from JD Vance, the vice president, who also started attacking the Ukrainian leader.
It is hard to imagine a greater contrast from the chummy scenes between Sir Keir Starmer and Trump and the scolding language used by the American president against Zelenskyy, at times addressing him as though he were a naughty school boy.
Ukraine’s president, his arms crossed, tried his best to speak up, but he was clearly fighting a losing battle. The extraordinary breakdown is far more serious than just a made-for-television drama.
American support for Ukraine is critical if Kyiv is to withstand Russia’s war. The UK, France and Ukraine’s other European allies have been working overtime to try to keep Trump on their side.
The US president has vowed to end the war and started talks with Vladimir Putin. The two presidents also plan to meet. That alone was hard for Ukraine to witness.
But the Ukrainian side has attempted to work with Washington rather than against it, including by being willing to part with profits from its minerals and other natural resources in return for locking Trump into a long term partnership with Ukraine.
That all looks to be shattered – or at best is in serious jeopardy.
If Trump, in anger, withdraws all of his military support to Ukraine, Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russia’s military will be seriously diminished.
The Europeans lack the capability to fill the void. The only person who wins in this scenario is Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just left the White House after his fiery meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The two leaders were expected to hold a news conference this evening, which has now been cancelled.
A White House official has said the minerals deal between the US and Ukraine has also not been signed.
The Ukrainian president has just got into his vehicle outside the West Wing.
The White House official said it is up to Ukraine to see if a meeting can be rescheduled while Zelenskyy remains in the country.
We’ve just received the first response from the Kremlin to that angry exchange between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, described the meeting as “historic”.
You can watch the full exchange in our 5.57pm post.
Donald Trump’s news conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyy this evening has been cancelled.
The two leaders were expected to face the media at the White House from 6pm UK time.
However, after the fiery exchange in the Oval Office (see our 5.57pm post), the Ukrainian president is now expected to leave the White House early.
In a statement on his Truth Social account, Trump said Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace if America is involved,” adding “he can come back when he is ready for peace”.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to leave the White House shortly following his explosive meeting with Donald Trump, says US correspondent Mark Stone.
Stone was among the reporters in Washington who was waiting to watch a news conference scheduled for the two leaders, which now appears not to be going ahead.
“The falling out appears to be devastating, in terms of how the day was supposed to go,” he says.
“The scene is set in the East Room of the White House. We were queuing up, ready to go into the East Room for what was due to be a signing ceremony.
“The tables were there, the pens were on the tables. Everything was ready for the deal to be signed and a news conference was due to follow that.
“But after the scenes that we played you a few moments ago, which happened around about 40 minutes ago, everything appears to have fallen apart.”
He says there is a Marine waiting to open the door of a limousine and for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to get in and leave shortly.
Donald Trump has just posted a statement on his Truth Social, and says Volodymyr Zelenskyy can “come back when he is ready for peace”.
Read the full statement below:
“We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today.
“Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and 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.
“I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
The White House has responded to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tense back-and-forth with Donald Trump and JD Vance in the Oval Office.
In a post on X, Trump’s special assistant and communications adviser posted the exchange and said Trump and Vance “will always stand for America and those who respect our position in the world”.
“America will never be taken advantage of,” Margo Martin added.
If you haven’t seen the footage yet, take a look at our 5.57pm post.
Away from the drama going on inside the White House, we can bring you some images from the streets of Washington DC.
Here are some pro-Ukrainian protesters stood just outside the security cordon on Pennsylvania Avenue, which connects the US Capitol Building with the White House.
Placards and banners read “Russia can’t be trusted”, and “real peace cannot be dictated by the aggressor”.
We’ve just seen the extraordinary footage of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and JD Vance arguing in the Oval Office.
In stark contrast to the calm tones and friendly diplomacy we’ve seen in the same room this week with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, this meeting strikes a different chord.
Vance claims Zelenskyy is being “disrespectful” with his comments about the Trump administration, while Trump tells the Ukrainian president he is in “no position to dictate”.
“It’s going to be very hard to do business like this, you have to be thankful,” Trump says, pointing his finger at Zelenskyy.
Watch the heated exchange below…
As expected, Donald Trump has dominated proceedings in the Oval Office.
But Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the US president to make “no compromises with a killer” – referring to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
That came after Trump told Ukraine’s president he either needed to make a deal or the US would “be out”.
Earlier, Trump told Zelenskyy he spoke to Putin “a couple of days ago”, adding he believes Russia’s president wants to make a deal.
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