Video shows President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance in a tense meeting Friday before the U.S. and Ukraine were planning to sign a rare earth minerals deal.
In the Oval Office meeting, Mr. Trump threatened Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia or “we’re out.” Vance, who was seated next to Mr. Trump, accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful.”
During a tense back-and-forth, Zelenskyy voiced skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, pointing out that Moscow had not followed through on past promises.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Mr. Trump told Zelenskyy. “You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country.”
Mr. Trump mentioned earlier this week that the U.S. and Zelenskyy reached a deal on a broad framework for sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources, and said Zelenskyy was coming to the White House because he “would like to sign it together with me.”
After Friday’s meeting, Ukrainians left the Oval Office to head to a “separated room,” while the U.S. team stayed in the Oval Office, a White House official said. While the Ukrainians were in the other room, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them to leave.
The signing of the minerals agreement and a scheduled news conference were canceled.
Watch the video of the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in the player above.
