President Donald Trump said on Friday he has cut short the visit of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, after the two got into a heated public exchange at the global office.
"We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It's amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations," the president said in a publication on his social media platform, Truth Social.
"I don't want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace," the statement adds.
Trump had cast doubt on the immediate future of the negotiations to put an end to the Russian invasion after the exchange ended. CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins, present during the incident, said she asked Trump as she was leaving whether they could still negotiate after what had happened. "We'll see," Trump replied.
"You've got to be more thankful," Trump told Zelensky at the beginning of the exchange, adding that he is "gambling with World War III" and claiming that Putin never broke agreements with him.
"It's going to be very hard to do business like this, I tell you," Trump added before Zelensky got in an exchange with Vice President JD Vance over the matter. "Let's go litigate these disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when you're wrong."
"I think it's good for the American people to see what's going on. That's why I kept this going for so long. You don't have the cards. Your people are dying, you're running low on soldiers," Trump added before a visibly agitated Zelensky.
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