Vice-president JD Vance lights up the wick, Donald Trump embraces and gets caught, Volodymyr Zelensky is struggling to place one: the visit Friday, February 28 of the Ukrainian president at the White House turned to the grip. Here are the words exchanged between the three leaders during this very tense discussion in the oval office.
Volodymyr Zelensky: “What diplomacy are you talking about, JD (vance)? What do you mean?”
JD VANCE: “I am talking about the type of diplomacy that will end the destruction of your country. Mr. President, if I may be allowed, I find that it is disrespectful on your part to come to the oval office and try to debate this in front of the American media. At the moment, you are forcing conscripts to join the front line because you have any workforce problems. You should thank the president (Trump).”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “Have you ever been in Ukraine to see our problems? Come once.”
JD VANCE: “I saw and read things and I know what’s going on: you take people there for a propaganda visit, Mr. President. Do you deny having problems to mobilize in your army? And do you think it is disrespectful to come to the oval office of the United States of America and attack the government which tries to prevent the destruction of your country?”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “It’s been a lot of questions. Let’s start with the beginning. First, during a war, everyone has problems, even you. You have a beautiful ocean (which separates you from Europe) and you do not feel it now, but you will feel it in the future. […]””
“You put yourself in a very bad position”
Donald Trump: “You don’t know it. Do not say what we are going to feel. We try to solve a problem. Do not say what we are going to feel.”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “I’m not telling you … I answer …”
JD VANCE: “This is precisely what you do.”
Donald Trump: “You are not in a position to dictate what we will feel. We will feel very good and very strong.”
Volodymyr Zelensky tries to interrupt him.
Donald Trump: “You got into a very bad position. You don’t have the cards in hand, there. With us, you start to have them.”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “I do not play cards. I am very serious, Mr. President. I am the president of a country at war.”
Donald Trump: “”[…] You play with the lives of millions of people. You play with the third world war. You play with the third world war. And what you do is very disrespectful towards this country which supported you much more than what many say that it should have. “
“You think if you speak very hard …”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “I am very respectful.”
Jd vance :: “Did you only say thank you?”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “Many times”
JD VANCE: “No, since the start of this meeting? […] Say a few words of thanks in the United States of America and to the President who tries to save your country. “
Volodymyr Zelensky: “You think if you speak very hard …”
Donald Trump: “He doesn’t speak strong. Your country is in great difficulty. No, no, you have talked a lot. Your country is in great difficulty. You don’t win. You have a hell of a good chance of being able to get out of it, thanks to us.”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “Mr. President, we have been strong. Since the very beginning of the war, we are alone, and we say, I said, thank you.”
Altercation between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House Oval Office, February 28, 2025
© / afp.com/saul loeb
Donald Trump, angry: “You have not been alone. You have not been alone. We have already given you, by this stupid president (Joe Biden), 350 billion (dollars) of military equipment. And your men are courageous but they had our equipment. If you did not, this war would have been finished in two weeks.”
Volodymyr Zelenksy: “In three days. This is what I heard from Putin.”
[…]
Donald Trump: “It will be very hard to negotiate like that.”
JD VANCE: “Say just thank you.”
Volodymyr Zelensky: “I said it many times.”
[…]
“You don’t have the cards in hand”
Donald Trump: “I think it’s good that the Americans see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. This is why I let it go for so long. You have to be grateful. You don’t have the cards in hand. You are bogged down. Your citizens die. Listen, you are short of soldiers. And after you say to us’ I don’t want to cease it, I don’t want to stop. Listen, if you can get a cease-fire now, I tell you, you take it to stop the balls and the massacre of your troops.
Volodymyr Zelensky: “Of course we want to stop war. With guarantees.”
Donald Trump: “You say that you don’t want to stop it? Me, I want one. Because we get a ceasefire faster than an agreement.”
[…]
Donald Trump: He (Putin) wants an agreement. I don’t know if you want an agreement. I gave you the power to be a strong man, and I don’t think you would be a strong man without the United States. Your people are very courageous. But either you conclude an agreement, or we drop you. […] You don’t be grateful at all. And it’s not a good thing. Well, I think we have seen enough. It will make a big moment of television. “