Trump and Zelensky argued fiercely during the meeting at the White House: details of the tense discussion.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House on February 28. The meeting escalated into a heated argument about the strategy to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. The discussion became particularly intense when issues of a ceasefire and support for Ukraine were addressed. U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance also participated in this discussion.

‼️A heated back and forth between @ZelenskyyUa, @POTUS, and @VP now in the Oval. pic.twitter.com/j1YCy4Jm3K

— Misha Komadovsky (@komadovsky) February 28, 2025

Tense discussion on ending the war

Trump stated that the parties are 'quite close' to reaching a peace agreement regarding the situation in Ukraine. However, the leaders' views on the format of such an agreement diverge. Trump expressed a desire to quickly end the war, but Zelensky objected, demanding security guarantees and rejecting a simple ceasefire, which he believed would not yield results.

Trump accused Zelensky of lack of gratitude

The tone and approach of Zelensky angered Trump, who claimed that the Ukrainian president does not respect the U.S. and has no right to dictate terms to them. Trump also reminded of American aid to Ukraine and implied that Ukraine should be grateful to him.

Zelensky opposed Trump administration's position

Zelensky disagreed with Jay D. Vance's position on the need for diplomacy to resolve the conflict with Russia. He also suggested that representatives of the Trump administration come to Ukraine and see the situation for themselves.

Agreement on minerals and support for Ukraine

Despite the tense discussion, the leaders confirmed plans to sign an agreement on minerals, which Trump called 'a major commitment of the U.S.'. They also agreed to continue supplying arms to Ukraine.

Discussion of Russia and Putin's role

Trump reported that he recently spoke with Putin and plans to negotiate with him. Zelensky emphasized Putin's responsibility for starting the war and for the restoration of Ukraine. Zelensky also showed Trump photographs of Ukrainian prisoners, which vividly demonstrated the harsh conditions they were in.

Security guarantees and next steps

Zelensky expressed the need for security guarantees from the U.S. and insisted on the necessity of air defense systems. Trump suggested reviewing the contributions of European partners and equating them with the contributions of the U.S.