Diplomatic tensions between the United States and Ukraine reached a new level after a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
The conversation, which was expected to focus on U.S. support for Ukraine, quickly turned tense.
After the meeting, Trump took to Truth Social to express his frustration. He accused Zelensky of showing disrespect in the Oval Office.
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump wrote.
Zelensky has since left Washington, according to Reuters.
Trump described their meeting as intense but meaningful. He said it revealed things that "could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure."
He also claimed that Zelensky was unwilling to seek peace as long as U.S. military support continued. "I don't want advantage, I want peace," Trump added.
The two leaders held a 45-minute press briefing in the Oval Office. The discussion became heated when the topic of American aid and the conditions of a possible peace agreement with Russia came up.
The disagreement started when Zelensky responded to Vice President JD Vance's statement that Ukraine needed to accept U.S.-proposed peace terms.
As Zelensky defended Ukraine’s position, Trump cut him off. "You've done a lot of talking," he said. Zelensky pushed back. "From the start of the war, we were alone," he replied.
Trump fired back. "If you didn't have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks."
Zelensky’s visit followed weeks of difficult negotiations. Ukraine had rejected two earlier drafts of a proposed agreement, arguing that they placed heavy obligations on Ukraine without offering security guarantees from the U.S.
The agreement, which remains under discussion, includes a fund that would require Ukraine to contribute half of the revenue from future mineral resource sales, such as oil, gas, and infrastructure.
Trump has been openly critical of Zelensky in recent weeks. Last week, he called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator," accusing him of refusing to hold elections.
His comments echoed some of the rhetoric pushed by the Kremlin, further straining relations between the two leaders.
