Washington: The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was notably tense, with heated exchanges leading to the cancellation of a joint press conference.
According to reports from foreign news agencies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting, which lasted for a short while, was marked by significant disagreements between the two leaders.
During the encounter, both leaders addressed media representatives, but the Ukrainian president repeatedly clashed with both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
The Oval Office meeting saw heightened tensions as President Trump and Vice President Pence raised their voices at President Zelensky on multiple occasions. Trump reportedly stated, “You are risking the lives of millions of people. You are inviting the danger of a third world war, and your behavior is extremely disrespectful to this country.”
Ignoring the presence of media representatives, President Trump openly expressed his frustration with Zelensky, blaming him for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “Because of you, the Russia-Ukraine war is not stopping,” Trump said.
The situation worsened when Vice President Pence remarked that “diplomacy” was needed to end the war. Zelensky responded by asking, “What kind of diplomacy?” This prompted Pence to label Zelensky as “disrespectful.”
President Trump backed his vice president, and the two leaders engaged in a debate over whether the U.S. had failed to prevent Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Addressing Zelensky, Trump said, “You don’t seem grateful at all, and with this attitude, reaching any agreement will be difficult.” Zelensky, in a relatively calm tone, replied, “You are speaking very loudly.”
President Trump claimed, “If I were president at the time, the Russia-Ukraine war would never have started.” He also expressed hope that they would sign an agreement related to Ukraine’s mineral resources that day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the other hand, stated, “We want America to continue supporting us. After the war, I hope for the best relations between the U.S. and Ukraine.”
He further added, “Russia has abducted 30,000 American children and others. We want our people back.” However, later, President Zelensky left the White House without attending a scheduled lunch with President Trump, and the joint press conference was canceled.
