Photo: Meduza
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly left the White House after a tense conversation with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Despite the official tone of gratitude in a post on Twitter, the meeting was yet another test for Ukraine-US relations.
“I thank the President, Congress and the American people. Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, and this is what we are working for,” Zelenskyy wrote after leaving the White House.
However, behind the scenes of the talks, there was a heated debate that showed differences in approaches to the war in Ukraine.
Diplomacy or trap? How the conflict began
To this, Volodymyr Zelenskyy replied that diplomacy with Russia had not yielded results since 2014 and that Ukraine had repeatedly tried to reach a peaceful settlement.
“He (Putin) occupied a large part of Ukraine, Crimea. This has been going on since 2014… There was President Obama, President Trump, President Biden, and now President Trump again. May God bless him and give him the opportunity to stop the war. But since 2014, no one has stopped him. He has been occupying and occupying, killing people… No one has stopped him. We had conversations with him, a lot of conversations… I signed an agreement with him in 2019… But after that, he broke the ceasefire. He did not agree to the exchange of prisoners. What kind of diplomacy are you talking about, JD?” Zelensky asked.
“You are in the wrong position”: how Trump tried to put pressure on Zelensky
Afterwards, Vance said that diplomacy should end the “destruction of your country”, hinting that the war was draining Ukraine.
“You should be grateful to the president for trying to end the conflict,” the vice president said, accusing Zelenskyy of allegedly coming to the Oval Office not for dialogue but to criticise the Trump administration.
The President of Ukraine responded with restraint, but made it clear that Ukraine was not just waiting for help, but was fighting for survival.
“There are many questions. Let’s start with the most important one. During the war, everyone has problems. Even you. But you have a good ocean, and you don’t feel it yet. But you will feel it in the future,” Zelenskyy said.
This phrase provoked a sharp reaction from Trump.
“No, no, no, no. Don’t tell us how we feel. We are trying to solve a problem. You have no right to dictate to us, remember that,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy immediately responded: “I am not dictating. I am explaining that the US will feel the consequences of this war.”
Trump interrupted the Ukrainian president and said:
“You are in the wrong position. You have no cards. With us, you will have maps.”
To which Zelensky clearly replied: “I don’t play cards. I am very serious. I am the president during the war”.
“Did you say the word ‘thank you’?”: a manipulation from Vance
The dispute did not end there. Vice President Vance decided to focus on whether Ukraine was grateful to the United States for its assistance.
“Did you say the word ‘thank you’?” asked Vance.
“Many times,” Zelensky replied.
Vance then recalled Zelensky’s visit to the Pennsylvania plant, hinting that it could be a support for the Democrats during the US election campaign.
“Please, if you think you can speak loudly about the war…” Zelensky began, drawing attention to Vance’s aggressive tone.
But Trump interrupted him: “He doesn’t speak loudly. Your country is in big trouble.”
When Zelensky tried to take the floor again, Trump abruptly cut him off:
“You are not allowed to speak.”
What’s next? A visit that can change relationships
This meeting could be crucial for the future of US policy towards Ukraine. If the Trump administration continues to promote the concept of “diplomacy with Putin”, this could mean attempts to reduce military support for Ukraine or even pressure Kyiv to hold peace talks on the Kremlin’s terms.
However, Zelenskyy himself has made it clear that he does not intend to play by anyone else’s rules. His position remains unchanged: Ukraine is fighting for a just peace, not for the illusion of diplomatic agreements that could result in new victims.
Now the key question is: how will this meeting affect the future of Ukrainian-American relations? Will US policy change after the election? And is Washington ready to go all the way in its support for Ukraine?
