President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a tense meeting in the Oval Office, with Trump berating Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” and calling off the signing of a minerals deal. The deal, which would have given the US greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, is now on hold.
The meeting turned sour when Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing Moscow’s history of broken commitments. Trump responded by saying Putin had not broken agreements with him, and Vice President JD Vance told Zelenskyy to “say thank you” to the US for its support. The incident has sparked concerns about the future of US-Ukraine relations and the potential for a peace deal with Russia that could be unfavorable to Ukraine.