U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly canceled a planned news conference with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a white house meeting between the two turned tense.
What Happened: The Washington Post reported that the U.S. President canceled the news conference after the two met in the presence of Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday.
The gathering at the White House, originally set to finalize a U.S.-Ukraine agreement on critical mineral supplies, quickly escalated when Vance accused Zelenskyy of being disrespectful. Trump, raising his voice, warned Zelenskyy that he was “gambling with World War III.”
Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington, D.C., was expected to reinforce Ukraine’s partnership with the U.S. in its ongoing defense efforts against Russian aggression. However, the dialogue shifted when Trump and Vance questioned Ukraine’s diplomatic strategies, with Vance suggesting that prior U.S. policies had only fueled further conflict.
Zelenskyy countered by emphasizing Russia’s repeated breaches of ceasefire agreements, leading to a heated back-and-forth over what path forward would bring about peace.
“Not Ready For Peace”: Following the meeting in the Oval Office, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social and said that Zelenskyy is “not ready for Peace if America is involved.”
“…I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.
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