President Donald Trump is facing intense backlash over his heated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday and at times raised their voices toward the Ukrainian leader. Trump also accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” as Vance demanded that Zelenskyy offer his thanks to the president.
The shocking display from Trump and Vance prompted outrage on social media platform X, with many politicians and pundits calling their behavior “embarrassing” for the United States. The meeting comes as this month marks the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
“Zelensky made Trump look like a b---h,” wrote former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
The heated remarks sparked after Vance told Zelenskyy, “Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Trump then told Zelenskyy that he should be more “thankful” and warned that he was dealing with a potential “World War III.”
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump said.
Vance also repeatedly demanded that Zelenskyy say “thank you” to the U.S. president.
“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked Zelenskyy.
Vance’s comments were also mocked on social media by Kinzinger.
“On behalf of many Americans, don’t thank us we THANK YOU Ukraine for your work.Eat s--- Vance,” Kinzinger wrote.
Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney also chimed in and ridiculed Trump and Vance for their comments to Zelenskyy.
“Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for," she wrote on X.
Zelenskyy left the White House shortly after the meeting without signing a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump demanded.
It was an astonishing display of open antagonism in the Oval Office, a setting better known for somber diplomacy. Trump laid bare his efforts to coerce Zelenskyy to agree to giving the U.S. an interest in his country’s valuable minerals and to push him toward a diplomatic resolution to the war on the American leader’s terms.
Earlier in the meeting Trump said the U.S. would continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, but said he hoped that not too much aid would be forthcoming. “We’re not looking forward to sending a lot of arms,” Trump said. “We’re looking forward to getting the war finished so we can do other things.”
Trump suggested that Zelenskyy wasn’t in a position to be demanding concessions.
“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelenskyy. “With us you start having cards.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stories by Lauren Sforza
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