Friday’s tense exchange between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy extended behind closed doors, as the two leaders remained at odds following their heated White House clash.
Despite an initial display of public camaraderie, tensions persisted as two leaders saw the removal of the foreign delegation from the White House.
US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz provided a firsthand account of the tense moment, when he told “still argumentative” Zelenskyy that it was time to leave the White House.
Mike Waltz, speaking on Saturday’s “Fox and Friends Weekend,” detailed how he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio escorted Zelenskyy out after the meeting concluded.
Reflecting on Friday’s events, Waltz questioned whether Zelenskyy “truly wants to stop the fighting,” noting that the situation left Trump “frustrated and angry.”
When asked if Zelenskyy appeared to grasp the gravity of the situation, Waltz responded: “No, he didn’t. Frankly, his team did. His ambassador and his adviser were practically – I mean, they were practically in tears wanting this to move forward. But Zelenskyy was still argumentative.”
“Time is not on your side here. Time is not on your side on the battlefield. Time is not on your side in terms of the world situation, and, most importantly, US aid and the taxpayers’ tolerance is not unlimited,” Waltz recalled telling Zelenskyy.
He further explained “We had a meeting after that exchange after the press was asked to leave, and we pretty much unanimously advised the President that after that insult in the Oval Office, we just do not see how that could move forward, that any further engagement would only go backwards from this moment on, and that’s what we walked over and told President Zelenskyy and his team.”
Before the negotiations fell apart, Zelenskyy engaged in an exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
During a Friday CNN appearance, US Secretary of State Rubio stated Zelenskyy should apologise to President Trump “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 told presenter Kaitlan Collins.
In the Friday interview, Rubio questioned Zelenskyy’s commitment to ending the conflict, stating: “You start to suspect, does he really want an end to this war? Does he just think that we have to do whatever he says and give him anything he wants without any end game?”
The Oval Office meeting initially started on a positive note, with friendly exchanges, including Trump remarking, “I think he’s a great guy,” in reference to Zelenskyy.
However, tensions escalated when Zelenskyy attempted to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic stance with Vice President Vance in front of the press.
Vance criticized Zelenskyy for what he saw as opportunistic photo ops with Democrats during the 2024 campaign and accused him of disrespecting the administration.
Trump, raising his voice, reprimanded Zelenskyy for being ungrateful and insisted he should show more appreciation for US support, stating bluntly, “You don’t have the cards.”
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy took to X, posting: “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.”
In the aftermath, leaders from France, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Poland, and the Netherlands voiced their support for Zelenskyy on social media. The Ukrainian president acknowledged each message, responding with a simple, “Thank you for your support.”