Trump crossed the boundaries of diplomacy, criticizing Zelenskyy in a manner that raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. His remarks, which seemed to trivialize the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, were seen by some as a stark departure from the traditional diplomatic decorum expected from former U.S. presidents.

Donald Trump’s meeting with President Zelensky today erupted into an unprecedented, blistering row. Things started to go off the rails about 40 minutes in when the Ukrainian president said he had signed deals with Putin but still could not trust the ‘killer’ leader. Tempers flared inside the Oval Office, with Vice President J.D. Vance also weighing in to give Zelensky a dressing down.

Take a look at the most explosive quotes from the showdown now threatening to overshadow talks for a ceasefire in the Russia- Ukraine war.

Gambling with World War III

President Trump dramatically accused Zelensky of playing with the lives of millions of people in one of the meeting’s tensest exchanges. His comments came after Zelensky pushed back against Trump’s suggestion that he should compromise with Putin after three years of war.

‘You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,’ Trump shouted at the Ukrainian leader.

‘You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country – this country.’

Be more thankful

Trump made it clear in the meeting that he expected Zelensky to be more thankful for the support he had received from the US.  He also berated the Ukrainian leader, saying he was in ‘no position to dictate what we’re going to feel’.

Trump told Zelensky: ‘You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers.  Then you tell us, I don’t want a cease fire. I don’t want to cease fire.’

In response, Zelensky insisted there could be no ‘compromises’ with a ‘killer on our territory’.

Make a deal, or we’re out

During the meeting, Trump told the Ukrainian president that he needed to ‘make a deal’ with Russia. He subsequently warned that if this was not done, the US ‘would be out’.

‘Your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out,’ Trump said in the White House in a dramatic verbal clash.

‘I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out, but you don’t have the cards.’

Disrespectful

US Vice President JD Vance, sitting nearby, also attacked Zelensky during the meeting, calling him ‘disrespectful.’

The Ukrainian appeared to try to speak in response but was cut off.

No deals without compromises

Trump also criticised Zelensky’s approach to a ceasefire during the explosive clash inside the Oval Office. ‘You can’t do any deals without compromises. So certainly he’s going to have to make some compromises, but hopefully they won’t be as big as some people think,’ Trump said.

But showing Trump pictures of war atrocities and referring to President Putin, Zelensky said there should be ‘no compromises with a killer on our territory.’ ‘Crazy Russians,’ he said, deported Ukrainian children and committed war crimes during their three-year invasion of his country.

They respect me

Trump was on fire with rage at the end of the meeting in the Oval Office. Responding to Zelensky’s comments about past deals with Putin, he said they were not comparable as they were brokered under a different president.

‘Biden, they didn’t respect him. They didn’t respect Obama. They respect me,’ Trump said.

‘Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia.

‘You ever hear that deal? That was a phony, that was a phony Hunter, Biden, Joe, Biden scam.’

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