Donald Trump left the White House for Florida after a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US leader sarcastically called Zelensky a “big shot” and criticized him for how he handled their discussion.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the meeting “didn’t go well” and that Zelensky had “overplayed his hand.”
He added, “We want peace. We don’t want someone who joins a strong alliance and then refuses to make peace because they feel powerful. I’m looking for peace—we’re not trying to start a ten-year war.”
Before leaving for Mar-a-Lago, Trump continued to mock Zelensky, saying, “Now he’s acting like a big shot because the US is backing him. Either we end this, or he fights on his own. And if he fights alone, it won’t be pretty, because without us, he doesn’t win.”
Zelensky had traveled to Washington to sign an important minerals agreement with the US, but the deal was canceled after their argument. A planned joint press conference between the two leaders was also scrapped.
The argument escalated when Zelensky questioned Vice President JD Vance about how to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, given Russia’s history of breaking agreements since its 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine.
In response, both Trump and Vance harshly criticized Zelensky. Trump accused him of “risking World War Three,” while Vance told the Ukrainian leader he should be more grateful for America’s support.
