Trump Officials Blame Zelenskyy for Oval Office Showdown- wna24

President Donald Trump’s team has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the dramatic fallout of their Oval Office meeting on Friday, expressing frustration that he pushed for security guarantees despite prior warnings to avoid the topic.

Inside the Trump White House, officials believe Zelenskyy’s insistence on security commitments derailed what was supposed to be a meeting focused on economic cooperation. Trump’s aides had reportedly told Ukrainian counterparts in advance that the administration wanted to finalize a minerals trade deal first, with discussions about security guarantees coming later.

To Trump, the minerals agreement was already a sign of U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s stability. He viewed the deal as an economic investment that would, by extension, signal American support. But when Zelenskyy raised concerns about security during the meeting, the conversation quickly spiraled out of control.

The tension escalated when Zelenskyy challenged Vice President J.D. Vance’s approach to diplomacy with Russia, questioning how peace could be achieved given Moscow’s repeated violations of ceasefires.

Vance, who has been openly skeptical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, did not take the comment lightly. “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” he shot back. His response, unusually sharp for a U.S. official addressing an ally, made clear his personal reservations about Zelenskyy’s leadership.

Trump’s aides later suggested that Zelenskyy’s challenge to Vance was seen as disrespectful, triggering a strong response from the vice president and ultimately leading Trump to eject the Ukrainian delegation from the White House.

Trump’s irritation with Zelenskyy has been brewing for some time. Just days before the meeting, Trump had posted on Truth Social calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” for suspending elections in Ukraine—a decision that, under Ukraine’s constitution, is legally mandated during wartime. That message was reportedly crafted with input from Vance, highlighting the administration’s increasingly hardline stance on Zelenskyy.

While leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron took a more diplomatic approach during their recent meetings with Trump, Zelenskyy’s push for firm security commitments put him at odds with the president’s team.

Following the explosive Oval Office exchange, Ukrainian officials attempted to mend relations by suggesting a private, one-on-one meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy to clear the air. However, Trump’s team declined the offer, making it clear that they saw no point in further discussions if Zelenskyy was unwilling to negotiate a peace deal with Russia.

Ultimately, it was National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio who informed the Ukrainian delegation that their meeting was over. Minutes later, Zelenskyy left the White House, his hopes of securing a new security agreement with the U.S. seemingly dashed.

Later that evening, appearing on Fox News, Zelenskyy invoked former President Ronald Reagan’s belief that “peace is more than just an absence of war,” emphasizing that Ukraine needed a “just and lasting peace.” Trump, however, appeared unimpressed. As he departed for a fundraising event in Palm Beach, Trump told reporters that Zelenskyy needed to publicly express willingness to negotiate and “stop saying negative things” about Russian President Vladimir Putin. With no immediate reset in sight, Trump’s frustration with Zelenskyy could mark a turning point in U.S.-Ukraine relations.