BREAKING: Zelensky believes relationship with Trump can be ‘salvaged’ after disastrous White House meeting

Trump's view was that for amends to be made, Zelensky needs to say that he wants peace. In a Truth Social post after the meeting came to an abrupt end, with the remaining scheduled meetings for the day with Zelensky canceled, Trump said the Ukrainian president had "disrespected the USA" and that the president can come back "when he is ready for peace."

Zelensky, as well as other allies in the EU, take the view that Russia, which invaded Ukraine three years ago, must be beaten back, with Ukraine regaining land, before the war can come to a close. Zelensky has been pressing—for years—for Ukraine to be permitted to join NATO. This is something that the Trump administration has absolutely shot down as a possibility. Under President Joe Biden, Ukraine joining the NATO alliance was on the table.

Zelensky met with Trump and Vance before cameras in the Oval Office, where the three men took questions from the press. Zelensky was in town essentially to discuss bringing an end to the war in his nation, now three years old, and was expected to sign a deal allowing for the US to profit from the development of Ukraine's rare earth minerals. The entire diplomatic engagement went sideways after Zelensky indicated that he believed America would feel the devestation of war and be dragged further into the conflict.

Vance had questioned Zelensky on his lack of gratitude, and Zelensky responded, saying "You have a nice ocean. You don't feel now, but you will feel in the future."

"You don't know that," Trump said as Zelensky continued to speak over him. "Don't tell us what we're gonna feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're gonna feel. Because you're in no position to dictate what we're gonna feel. We're gonna feel very good and very strong. You're right now not in a very good position."

When Baier asked if Zelensky felt he owed Trump an apology, Zelensky declined, saying "I'm not sure that we did something bad. I think sometimes, somethings we have to discuss out of media with all due respect." Trump had said he believed it was important for the American people to see the conversation as it unfolded.

Zelensky, who apparently feels that he has some kind of bargaining chip with Trump and the US, said that the mineral deal, the same deal that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went to Kiev to sort out a few weeks ago, is a concession that is too great for Ukraine under the current circumstances. He said that the mineral deal was for "security guarantees" from the US, but for Trump, the minerals deal would be a way for Ukraine to pay back the billions of dollars in aid and weapons that the US has already sent to the nation.

"This is so sensitive, a ceasefire without security guarantees, this is so sensitive to our people," Zelensky said. "I'm speaking like a president of a people who are in the struggle for three years and they just want to hear that America is on our side and that America will stay with us—not with Russia—with us. That's it. But I'm sure that will be—this is the first step to security guarantees."

"Ukraine wants peace and we will have, anyway, diplomacy, we will have negotiations," Zelensky said when asked if he would ever sign a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I only said that I think so it's about just and lasting peace, we have to be very strong at the table of negotiations, and at this negotiations, like sides of this war have to be, and the United States and Europe, that's what I said. So we are ready for peace but we have to be in strong position. What's that mean: just to know our armies strong, that our partners with us and that we have security guarantees. Am I not right?"

Following the meeting, the Trump administration dropped funding for Ukraine's energy grid restoration.