Fighting Words: The Most Biting Attacks From Trump, Vance, and Zelensky During the Oval Office Meeting That Went Off the Rails

President Trump’s meeting with President Zelensky devolved into a shouting match and warnings that the Ukrainian leader is “gambling with World War III.”The closely watched meeting was seen as an opportunity for Mr. Zelensky to win some security guarantees from America, but it ended with him leaving the White House earlier than expected after a contentious exchange in the Oval Office.Here are some of the most dramatic lines from the contentious gathering.‘Disrespectful’Things started to become contentious when Vice President Vance sparred with Mr. Zelensky over a diplomatic end to the war.Mr. Vance suggested the “path to prosperity” is through diplomacy, which led Mr. Zelensky to recount Russia’s history of aggression towards Ukraine and ask, “What kind of diplomacy, J.D., are you speaking about?”“With respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Mr. Vance shot back. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”‘You have a nice ocean’Mr. Zelensky said, “During the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have [a] nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you’ll feel it in the future.”Mr. Trump shot back, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel! We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel because you’re in no position to dictate that. Remember this here, you’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel.”‘You’re gambling with World War III’Mr. Trump told Mr. Zelensky that he did not have the “cards” to dictate anything, saying, “With us, you start having cards.”“I’m not playing cards,” Mr. Zelensky said.Mr. Trump shot back, “You’re playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. 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 said they should have.”‘Have you said thank you?’Mr. Vance asked, “Have you said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting?”The Ukrainian leader insisted he has said “thank you” a lot.However, Mr. Vance criticized him for touring a munitions factory in Pennsylvania in September alongside Governor Shapiro. The vice president claimed he “campaigned for the opposition.”“What are you speaking about?” Mr. Zelensky asked. He said, “Please, you think if you speak very loudly about the war…”“He’s not speaking loudly,” Mr. Trump shot back.‘You’re not winning this’Mr. Trump delivered a pessimistic view of Ukraine’s chance of winning the war, saying, “You’re country is in big trouble. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us!”“From the very beginning of the war, we’ve been alone,” Mr. Zelensky said.Raising his voice, Mr. Trump said Ukraine has “not been alone” because of “the stupid president,” in reference to President Biden, and the aid America has given to Ukraine so far. ‘This war would’ve been over in two weeks’Mr. Trump suggested that with America’s military assistance, the war would have been “over” in “two weeks” and that Russia would have easily taken over Ukraine.However, Mr. Zelensky dismissed the comment and said, “In three days, I heard it from Putin.”‘A guy named Biden, who was not a smart person’Mr. Zelensky explained why he did not support a ceasefire without security guarantees from America, as he noted that in 2019, he signed onto a framework that was supposed to end Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and pointed out that it did not stop President Putin from launching his full-scale invasion in 2022. He said, “Ask our people about a ceasefire [and] what they think.”“That wasn’t with me, that was with a guy named Biden who was not a smart person,” Mr. Trump shot back. “That was with Obama, who gave you sheets, and I gave you Javelins [missiles].”He added, “You gotta be more thankful.”‘What if a bomb drops on your head right now?’Mr. Trump responded to a question about what would happen if Russia violated a hypothetical ceasefire deal by asking the journalist, “What if anything? What if a bomb drops on your head right now?”He insisted Mr. Putin respects him and “went through a hell of a lot with me,” such as the Russia investigation.“[Putin] had to go through that. And he did go through it. We didn’t end up in a war. And he went through it. He was accused of all that stuff. It came out of Hunter Biden’s bathroom. It came out of Hunter Biden’s bedroom. It was disgusting,” Mr. Trump said. ‘Make a deal, or we’re out’At the end of the meeting, Mr. Trump offered a warning to Ukraine, saying, “You’re either going to either make a deal, or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out, I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”“You’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing, I’ll be honest, that’s not a nice thing,” he said. Zelensky’s outfitBefore the meeting, Mr. Trump greeted Mr. Zelensky and commented on his famous drab outfit, saying, “Wow, look he’s all dressed up today!”Mr. Zelensky responded, “I had to.”A journalist asked him, “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re in the highest level of this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?”“Do you have problems?” Mr. Zelensky asked.The journalist responded, “A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting this office.”“I will wear a costume after this war will finish,” Mr. Zelensky said. During the explosive exchange, the Ukrainian ambassador to America was seen burying her face in her hand. After the meeting, Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich reported that Mr. Trump ordered Mr. Zelensky to leave the White House early because he felt “disrespected” by Mr. Zelensky’s body language during the exchange. A press conference and a signing for a minerals deal were canceled. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelensky “disrespected the United States in its cherished Oval Office” and “can come back when he is ready for peace.”Mr. Zelensky posted on X, “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”

Fighting Words: The Most Biting Attacks From Trump, Vance, and Zelensky During the Oval Office Meeting That Went Off the Rails

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