Zelensky leaves White House after extraordinary shouting match with Trump, Vance

TABNAK, Mar. 01 – A remarkable shouting match breaks out in the Oval Office on Friday between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

News ID: 6065

Date: 01 March 2025 - 10:45

A remarkable shouting match broke out in the Oval Office on Friday between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, an extraordinarily fractious display that only underscored the deeply uncertain future of American assistance to Kyiv.

Zelensky has just left the White House grounds without answering reporters' questions, according to IRNA.

Castigating Zelensky for not demonstrating enough gratitude for American support, Trump and his Vice President JD Vance raised their voices, accusing Zelensky of standing in the way of a peace agreement.

“You’re not really in a good position right now.” Trump said. “You’re gambling with World War III.”

At one moment, Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” toward his American hosts.

“You’re not acting all that thankful,” Trump added.

“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked Zelensky.

It was an entirely unprecedented moment in recent US presidential history – a foreign wartime visitor coming under repeated scolding from his American hosts.

Ahead of his arrival, Trump had already voiced open hostility toward Zelensky, whom he termed a dictator.

But the tense 10-minute exchange in the Oval Office went well beyond any of the usual diplomatic rifts, allowing the gulf between the men to play out publicly in front of television cameras. It was about as angry as Trump has ever allowed himself to be seen in public.

“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” the US president told Zelensky, adding later: “If we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it will be pretty.”