Fireworks Erupt Between Trump, Zelensky During Oval Office Meeting

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance engaged in a fiery back-and-forth with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a public Oval Office meeting on Friday.

At one point, Trump wagged his finger at the Ukrainian leader, who was seated right next to him, and told him he had to โ€œbe thankfulโ€ after the U.S. during the Biden administration poured tens of billions in money and military assistance into the war-torn country following Russiaโ€™s 2022 invasion.

โ€œItโ€™s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,โ€ Trump said, before Vance broke in.

โ€œYou can say โ€˜thank youโ€™ โ€“โ€ he began before Zelensky interrupted and said he had thanked โ€œthe American peopleโ€ many times in the past for their help.

โ€œYou can accept that there are disagreements,โ€ Vance continued, โ€œand letโ€™s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when youโ€™re wrong. We know youโ€™re wrong.โ€

Then it was Trumpโ€™s turn.

WATCH:

 

โ€œBut you see, I think itโ€™s good for the American people to see whatโ€™s going on,โ€ he began. โ€œYou have to be thankful. You donโ€™t have the cards. Youโ€™re buried there. Your people are dying. Youโ€™re running low on soldiers โ€“โ€ he continued as Zelensky continued trying to interrupt.

โ€œNo,ย listen,โ€ Trump went on. โ€œThe you tell us, โ€˜I donโ€™t want a cease fire. I donโ€™t want a cease fire.โ€™ Look โ€” if you could get a cease-fire right now, I tell ya youโ€™d take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.โ€

โ€œOf course I want to stop the war,โ€ Zelensky countered. โ€œBut I said to you with guarantees.โ€

โ€œBut youโ€™re saying you donโ€™t want a cease-fire,โ€ Trump responded. โ€œI want a cease-fire. Because youโ€™ll get a cease-fire faster than youโ€™ll get an agreement.โ€

At one point, per Fox News, Vanceย added: โ€œMr. President, with respect, I think itโ€™s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country.โ€

โ€œHave youโ€™ve ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?โ€ Zelenskyy shot back.

โ€œIโ€™ve actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour,โ€ Vance continued. โ€œMr. President. Do you disagree that youโ€™ve had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that itโ€™s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to trying to prevent the destruction of your country?โ€

Zelenskyy continued that under war, โ€œeverybody has problems, even youโ€ and that the U.S. would feel the war โ€œin the future.โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t know that,โ€ Trump responded as Zelenskyy said โ€œGod bless youโ€ to Trump.

โ€œDonโ€™t tell us what weโ€™re going to feel. Weโ€™re trying to solve a problem. Donโ€™t tell us what weโ€™re going to feel,โ€ Trump continued.

โ€œYou are in no position to dictate that, remember that,โ€ Trump said, as Zelenskyy defended that he was simply answering Vanceโ€™s questions.

โ€œI feel weโ€™re going to feel very good, very strong,โ€ Trump said. โ€œYouโ€™re right now not in a very good position. Youโ€™ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,โ€ Trump said again, as Zelesnkyy said, โ€œIโ€™m not playing cards.โ€

โ€œYeah youโ€™re playing cards,โ€ Trump said. โ€œYouโ€™re gambling with the lives of millions of people. Youโ€™re gambling with World War III. Youโ€™re gambling with World War III. And what youโ€™re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.โ€


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