Trump and Zelenskyy Clash in Oval Office as Ukraine Meeting Erupts

A televised meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025, broke down into a public shouting match. The session was supposed to end with the signing of a U.S.–Ukraine minerals agreement. Zelenskyy left the White House early without signing, and the administration later suspended intelligence and military aid provisions.

Trump and Vance repeatedly raised their voices and talked over Zelenskyy in the final minutes of the roughly 45-minute meeting. Trump told Zelenskyy he was "gambling with World War III" and "disrespectful" to the United States. Vance, who had never visited Ukraine, accused the Ukrainian leader of not being serious about peace. Zelenskyy pushed back, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin could not be trusted and that Ukraine needed security guarantees, not just a ceasefire that would leave it exposed.

What Was at Stake

Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington to sign a critical minerals deal and to argue against any U.S. tilt toward Russia. The Trump administration had been pressing for a ceasefire and a different approach to ending the war. The two sides could not bridge that gap in front of the cameras. A planned bilateral press conference was cancelled. Trump later posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy had "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office" and could "come back when he is ready for PEACE."

Reaction

Allies of the United States largely sided with Zelenskyy; Russian officials praised the outcome. The confrontation drove U.S.–Ukraine relations to a new low and left the resource agreement in limbo. Reuters and other outlets reported that Trump aides were scheduled to visit Ukraine in the days before the meeting as part of ongoing talks.

What's Next

Whether the minerals deal gets signed, how aid flows are restored, and how ceasefire or peace talks proceed will depend on follow-up diplomacy. The Oval Office clash has already become a reference point in the debate over U.S. support for Ukraine.