By Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny, Kit Maher and Kaitlan Collins, CNN
Washington (CNN) — A remarkable shouting match broke out in the Oval Office on Friday between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, an extraordinarily fractious display that only underscored the deeply uncertain future of American assistance to Kyiv.
Never before has an American president berated his visitor like Trump did to Zelensky, leading to an almost real-time breakdown in relations between Washington and Kyiv. Trump at one point threatened to give up on Ukraine entirely.
“You’re right now, not really in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position,” Trump said. “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
“I’m not playing cards,” Zelensky said.
Raising his voice, after more back-and-forth, Trump said, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.”
At one moment, Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” toward his American hosts.
“You’re not acting all that thankful,” Trump added.
“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked Zelensky.
Afterward, Trump huddled with his key advisers inside the Oval Office to assess the situation, including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
That was when Trump ultimately decided that Zelensky was “not in a place to negotiate.” He directed Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz to deliver the message: it was time for Zelensky to leave.
The Ukrainians were holding nearby in a separate room, which is standard when a foreign leader visits the White House. Typically, they go to other rooms, then reconvene for lunch.
But the Ukrainians wouldn’t be dining at the White House Friday. As the prepared food sat nearby on carts in a hallway outside the press secretary’s office, the Ukrainians were instructed to leave.
The White House official said the Ukrainians protested and wanted to continue the talks. But they were told no.
Zelensky left shortly thereafter. He has canceled his planned afternoon speech at the Hudson Institute, an official with the think tank announced to attendees.
A scheduled joint press conference was scrapped and Zelensky departed the White House in his black SUV without signing a planned agreement on providing US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. Trump posted online that his counterpart was not welcome back until he was “ready for peace.”
The Trump administration moved quickly on Friday to try to turn the diplomatic uproar into a sign of strength, dispatching allies like South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham to the cameras outside the West Wing to call on Zelensky to apologize. The White House issued a statement saying: “President Trump and VP Vance are standing up for Americans.”
Now, Zelensky will leave Washington with the fate of his country, and his own future as its leader, in doubt.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
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