Oksana Markarova at the Oval Office
Oksana Markarova at the Oval Office CNN's Kaitlan Collins official X account

Amid the heated discussion on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, cameras captured one particular moment that illustrated the situation: Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, was burying her face in her hands—a moment that quickly went viral on social media:

The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump grew particularly contentious when Vice President Vance criticized the Ukrainian for discussing security guarantees rather than temporary truces publicly.

"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance said. Zelensky attempted to interject, but Trump interrupted, stating, "You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have."

Throughout the exchange, Markarova's visible reaction—placing her hands on her face in apparent distress—was captured on video and widely shared online. CNN's Kaitlan Collins posted the image on X (formerly Twitter), where it quickly gained hundreds of thousands of views.

Trump also used the meeting to highlight a minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, stating that access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals would benefit American industries, including artificial intelligence and military production.

Zelensky acknowledged the agreement's economic potential but pushed back against Trump's assertion that Europe had done less than the U.S. in supporting Ukraine. The meeting concluded with Trump declaring, "This is going to be great television," before exiting. The agreement was ultimately not signed and Zelensky was asked to leave the White House along with the Ukrainian delegation after the exchange.

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