Donald Trump versus Volodymr Zelenskyy: Debate in White House
On February 28, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump were set to discuss a minerals deal that would be a part of securing peace in Ukraine. Trump’s plans for ending the war included allowing US organizations to work with Ukrainian organizations in an economic partnership. The establishment of US economic interests in Ukraine would lead to a security guarantee due to US economic interests in that country. During the meeting, the discussions turned into a debate.
From NBC News:
The Oval Office shouting match has for now shattered hopes for the minerals deal, which Trump and his allies had presented as an important step forward for Ukraine on the road to peace with Russia more than three years after the war began.
“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social website after the meeting ended. “He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Trump dug in further hours later, telling reporters that Zelenskyy “overplayed his hand” and accusing the Ukrainian president of “looking to go on and fight, fight, fight.”
“We’re not looking for somebody that’s going to sign up a strong power and then not make peace because they feel emboldened,” Trump said. “We’re not looking to go into a 10-year war and play games. We want peace.”
After departing the White House, Zelenskyy posted on X, “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
During a Fox News interview Friday evening, Zelenskyy reiterated his appreciation of U.S. support but rebuffed calls to apologize for his comments at the White House.
“I think that we have to be very open and very honest. And I’m not sure that we did something bad,” Zelenskyy said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is among the Trump allies who have called on Zelenskyy to issue an apology, telling CNN in an interview Friday night that Zelensky should “apologize for turning this thing into the fiasco for him that it became.”
“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” Rubio said. “We were hoping that that meeting would begin by: ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you. We wouldn’t even have a chance to negotiate a piece without the help you gave us.'”
Despite Trump’s assertion that Zelenskyy “doesn’t have the cards” to negotiate, the Ukrainian leader remained adamant Friday night that security guarantees be included in any agreement to end the war, as well as the rare earth minerals deal drafted by the Trump administration.
The security guarantees, he added in the Fox News interview, are critical given what he described as a long history of Russian President Vladimir Putin disregarding ceasefire agreements.
Additional Reading:
Shabad, R., & Egwuonwu, N. (2025, February 28). Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump and Vance unravels into an extraordinary clash. NBC News. Link.
Category: Donald Trump, International Affairs, Russia, Ukraine
