The stunning blow-up between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House came after weeks of frustration by Trump and his top aides who saw the Ukrainian leader as an obstacle to their goals of quickly ending the war, restoring ties with Moscow and sealing a potentially lucrative minerals deal, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.
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The US president has long taken an adversarial stance towards Zelensky and Ukraine. But the divide between the Ukrainian leader and the Trump White House has ballooned in recent days as talks over a much-anticipated minerals deal for joint development of Ukraine’s natural resources got bogged down.
The extraordinary moment that unfolded in front of TV cameras on Friday marked a potential turning point in Washington’s relationship with Moscow.
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The full heated argument between Zelensky, Trump and Vance
The full heated argument between Zelensky, Trump and Vance
In recent weeks, Trump has already upended decades of US foreign policy by publicly siding with the Russian leader, saying he “trusts” President Vladimir Putin is sincere in his desire to end the war – a belief that most Western officials, including intelligence officials, rebuke.
The conversation in the Oval Office on Friday began with the usual pleasantries but began to go downhill after Vice-President J.D. Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US support. Minutes later, it escalated into an unprecedented shouting match where Trump and Vance berated the Ukrainian wartime president.
Two White House officials said there was no attempt to ambush Zelensky and that they thought Friday’s visit would be a win for Trump, with Zelensky expected to sign the minerals agreement.
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However, the outburst did not come out of the blue, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
Frustration has mounted inside the White House in recent weeks, particularly as Trump officials attempted to negotiate the minerals deal with Ukraine, the sources said.