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Donald Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House descended into an angry shouting match after Vice President JD Vance called the Ukrainian president “disrespectful,” blowing up discussions on security guarantees and a minerals deal ahead of peace talks to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
In talks this week with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump appeared to smooth over any previous animosity toward Zelensky. However, much of that appeared undone as the president accused him of “gambling with World War 3.”
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said: “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. 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.”
Meanwhile, a California federal judge has ordered the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management to temporarily rescind directives ordering the mass firings of probationary employees at dozens of federal agencies, a major blow to Donald Trump’s administration as it attempts to drastically downsize the state under the guidance of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
EDITORIAL: Ukraine is not going to get the peace settlement it needs and deserves
In a previous, abortive, round of peace talks with the Russians three years ago, Volodymyr Zelensky declared that “all wars end in agreements”. Perhaps. There was no sign of agreement during the disgraceful scenes in the Oval Office on Friday.
To see the leader of Ukraine – after all he has done and been through in defending his country that has suffered 50,000 dead – being bullied, berated and belittled by the leaders of a nation that was until weeks ago his most crucial ally, was deeply demeaning to the United States. How low that great power has fallen.
The world will see this and can only have enhanced sympathy and respect for Mr Zelensky.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:40
Orbán praises Trump for conduct in Oval Office
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a Trump ally, has criticized Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky for working against peace in his country in a message of support for the U.S. president.
“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orbán wrote on X. “Today President Donald Trump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President!”
Orbán is a consistent backer of the Kremlin and has been outspokenly antagonistic against neighboring Ukraine.
After winning the last Hungarian elections in 2022, less than six weeks after Russia’s full-scale invasion, he cited Zelensky as one of the opponents he had defeated in the campaign.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:38
Treasury secretary blames Zelensky for heated Trump meeting
Speaking to Bloomberg, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who took a lead role in negotiating the critical minerals deal the two leaders were set to sign on Friday before Donald Trump directed Volodymyr Zelensky to be shown the door early, claimed the Ukrainian leader showed “disrespect of the American people.”
“You don’t do a negotiation with the President of the United States in public like this,” Bessent said, saying Zelensky could have raised issues of disagreement in private with Trump over a planned lunch. “He chose to let things go into a downward spiral on worldwide television.”
“We’ll see if there’s any coming back” for Zelensky, Bessent added.
Earlier, he tweeted: “Thank you, President Trump, for standing up for the American people and our nation on the global stage.”
Associate Editor of The Financial Times commented: “You can never erase this. You’ve defined who you are.”
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:22
Read the full exchange between Trump, Vance and Zelensky
Moments after saying he wished to be remembered as a “peacekeeper,” Donald Trump launched into a blistering admonishment of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to his face, as members of the press and horrified diplomats looked on.
At points in the barrage of criticism unleashed during Friday’s sit-down, the president was aided by his deputy, JD Vance, who on multiple occasions asked a stone-faced Zelensky if he had ever said “thank you” for U.S. military assistance.
Here’s a full transcript of the fiery exchange, which begins with Trump being asked by a reporter about aligning himself with both Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin:
Mike Bedigan28 February 2025 21:20
Trump and Vance ‘abandoned all we stand for’, says Cheney
“Today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine,” former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney wrote on X, referencing Putin’s early career as a Soviet intelligence officer. “History will remember this day — when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”
Cheney famously lost her seat in Congress to a Trump-backed challenger after she was fiercely critical of his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:15
Canadian foreign minister addresses ‘unpredictability’ and ‘chaos’
Canada’s foreign minister issued a statement addressing the “unpredictability” and “chaos” resulting from Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting at the White House this morning.
“We believe in supporting Ukraine,” Mélanie Joly said. “Clearly the Russians are noting the interaction that happened today. Our goal is to make sure we can continue to support Ukrainians and keep strong G-7 unity amidst all this unpredictably and sometimes even chaos.”
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:13
White House staffers joined Trump’s lunch instead of Zelensky
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:11
Tusk tells Ukraine ‘you are not alone’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have his message of support to Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, saying that they are not alone.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:08
EU foreign minister: ‘The free world needs a new leader’
The European Union’s foreign minister Kaja Kallas has tweeted her support for Ukraine and said that the free world needs a new leader.
We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor.
Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:04
Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News gave the following update having spoken with a Ukrainian member of parliament:
NEWS: Ukrainian member of parliament confirms to me that the minerals deal was ratified yesterday by the cabinet – however it would not be finished until a minister signed it, which was set to happen today with Zelenskyy ahead of the ceremonial signing between Zelenskyy and Trump.
A WH official tells me none of that is really relevant – because the US would not accept the deal without Zelenskyy’s signature.
On the feeling in the White House:
No word on if Zelenskyy is still making overtures to restart talks before he leaves the US – but I’m told the feeling within the White House mirrors what Sen. Lindsey Graham said on our air: that Zelenskyy may be irredeemable in the eyes of the American people.
It’s physically impossible to call elections in Ukraine:
I asked this Ukrainian member of parliament (who is a member of an opposing party, not a Zelenskyy supporter) whether there is now increased pressure to call elections and replace Zelenskyy, given President Trump’s statements to FOX last week that Zelenskyy resisted making a deal to end the war for too long, and the country SHOULD call for elections. He told me the answer is no, because it is “physically impossible” to hold elections with the war raging on – they would “need a ceasefire at the least”.
He told me Zelenskyy is heading to London tomorrow and European leaders have been reaching out to Zelenskyy/Ukrainians in the aftermath of the Trump fallout, reiterating their support.
Oliver O’Connell28 February 2025 21:03
