President Donald Trump is "pissed off" at Russian President Vladimir Putin for lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this weekend, he told NBC News in an interview.
Trump told the outlet that he was frustrated with Putin for not moving in the right direction toward a peace agreement with Ukraine. Putin disparaged Zelenskyy's leadership on Friday, arguing that a trans-national government may be necessary for Ukraine.
"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump told the outlet.
"That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States," he continued. "There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil."
Putin's latest aggression has gone beyond words as well, with his forces engaging in multiple attacks on Ukrainian targets over the weekend.
Four people were killed and 24 were injured Friday evening after Russian drones struck Dnipro in the country’s east, according to regional Gov. Serhii Lysak and Ukraine’s emergency service. At least eight more people were injured when a Russian ballistic missile struck nearby Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, Gov. Lysak reported.
A drone attack in Kharkiv on Saturday night also killed two people and injured 35 more.
Putin himself praised the "strategic initiative" of his forces on Thursday.
"Our troops, our guys are moving forward and liberating one territory after another, one settlement after another, every day," he said at a public forum.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has urged the U.S. to force Moscow to rein in its aggression.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy met with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a summit in Paris of some 30 nations about how to strengthen Kyiv’s hand and its military as it pushes for a ceasefire with Russia. Proposals to deploy European troops in the country in tandem with any peace deal are also being discussed.
Fox News' Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump is blaming former President Joe Biden for getting the U.S. into "a real mess with Russia," but said he would get the U.S. out of it. He called on Russia to commit to the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine agreed to earlier this week.
"Millions of people are needlessly dead, never to be seen again… and there will be many more to follow if we don’t get the ceasefire and final agreement with Russia completed and signed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "There would have been NO WAR if I were president. It just, 100%, would not have happened."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Trump administration to put more sanctions on Russia on Friday, claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to prolong the bloody three-year war. Putin said on Thursday that he agreed with the proposal in "principle." Zelenskyy believes Putin will try to block the deal in any way possible.
Trump hasn’t ruled out imposing more sanctions, but said he doesn’t "want" to go that route and would rather have peace. He did acknowledge, however, that the U.S. could make financial moves that are "very bad for Russia."
"In a financial sense, yeah, we could do things, very bad for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "But I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace."
In the same post, Trump listed numerous tragic events and hardships that he believes could have been avoided if he, and not former President Biden, won the 2020 election.
"Likewise, there would have been no October 7th with Israel, the pullout from Afghanistan would have been done with strength and pride, and would not have been the most embarrassing day in the history of our country, it could have been a moment of glory. Also, there would not have been any perceptible inflation," Trump wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.
Trump has not been shy about criticizing former President Biden, and even called out his predecessor multiple times in his address to a joint session of Congress. In his speech, Trump declared Biden was "the worst president in American history."
Trump also slammed the Green New Deal, which he calls the "Green New Scam," said Biden didn’t do enough to free Marc Fogel from Russian detention, criticized Biden’s spending on the war in Ukraine and emphasized Biden’s failures on the border.
"The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation. ‘We must have legislation to secure the border.’ But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president," Trump said as the room erupted with applause.
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter.
"Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared," Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.
"I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone," he continued. "Nearly all of them agreed."
Vance said it was a "mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s--- person."
"Slava Ukraini" is a battle cry for the Ukrainian armed forces, meaning "Glory to Ukraine."
While the vice president didn’t specify what he talked to the protesters about, the Trump administration has cut off funding in the last week for Ukraine and stopped intelligence sharing with the country after a tense Oval Office exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vance.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the vice president’s office for comment.
Tensions rose during the Oval Office meeting Feb. 28 over a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn't be trusted and had breached other agreements.
Trump and Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a "bad position" at the negotiating table.
"You're playing cards," Trump said. "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 the country, this country."
After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means "everybody has problems, even you," adding the U.S. would feel the war "in the future."
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump responded. "We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel."
Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a scheduled news conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.
The White House has said Zelenskyy must publicly apologize for the Oval Office meeting or the minerals deal won’t be considered.
Vance was also met by protesters last weekend, when his family went on a ski vacation in Vermont a day after the Feb. 28 exchange.
The protesters called him a "traitor" and told him to "go ski in Russia."
Liberal commentator Tim Miller criticized Vance over his X post Saturday, writing, "Dozens are dead in Ukraine because you stopped giving them the intelligence that protected the country from bombs so you can probably handle some yelling in a free country boss."
On Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was considering "large-scale" sanctions on Russia "until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached."
"Get to the table right now, before it is too late," he wrote of Russia and Ukraine.
President Donald Trump threatened to impose "large scale" sanctions against Russia after the country carried out a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said he was "strongly considering" sanctions and tariffs "until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached."
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told reporters that Trump is ready to use carrots or sticks" to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the table. When asked by Fox News Channel Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich for more details on what could be sanctioned, Hassett simply said there are "a heck of a lot of things."
In the overnight attack, Russia reportedly fired 67 missiles and 194 drones in an overnight attack that hit Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine’s air force. According to reports, at least 10 people were injured in Russia’s attack, including a child.
"Russia continues its energy terror," Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. "Again energy and gas infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine has come under massive missile and drone fire."
Russia has attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure multiple times throughout the three-year war. In April 2024, Russia destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants, and in December 2024, Russia pummeled Ukraine's power grid.
President Trump also included a message to both Ukraine and Russia in his Truth Social post: "Get to the table right now, before it is too late."
Friday’s attack seemed to be in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that his team would participate in peace talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia next week. While Zelenskyy himself will not be at the meeting, his team will sit with their American counterparts to discuss ending the war.
In his announcement of Ukraine’s participation in the talks, Zelenskyy said his country is "most interested in peace." The issue of peace caused friction between Trump and Zelenskyy, after the president said his Ukrainian counterpart was "not ready for peace" following their Oval Office spat.
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social last week after the heated meeting.
However, things seemed to have smoothed over between the two leaders, with Trump reading a letter from Zelenskyy during his address to a joint session of Congress. Trump said he appreciated Zelenskyy’s letter and that he wants to see the "savage conflict" end.
Fox News Channel's Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
House Republicans said President Donald Trump should keep a proposed minerals deal with Ukraine on the table, despite the public Oval Office showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday.
"I hope that Zelenskyy will come back humbly to the president, thanking the president for being willing to engage (and) having those business interests," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
He added that it would have been a "really great" way for Ukraine to signal to Russia that America is on its side.
"I hope we'll go down that road," Roy said of the proposed deal.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance's Friday meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House was cut short after they publicly sparred over the effort to end the Ukraine-Russia war.
An agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals in exchange for the financial support the U.S. has given Ukraine since 2022 and future investment in the country was left unsigned and Zelenskyy was asked by Trump to depart early.
Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, said the deal should "absolutely" still be in consideration. He pointed out that the U.S.'s presence in Ukraine would deter "the threat of having attacks that we had three years ago. So it's a win-win."
"I think everything should be on the table. Right?" remarked House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. "I'm very I was encouraged by President Zelenskyy's move today to say everything he should have said last week when he was in the Oval Office. And I think that bodes well."
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., agreed with his GOP colleagues that the deal shouldn't be scrapped.
"Donald Trump did the right things," he said. "What Zelenskyy did to disrespect the president. Watch how he interrupted the president. Watch how he challenged the vice president. It's unheard of."
In a new development, Zelenskyy addressed the contentious meeting once again Tuesday, and said Ukraine was "ready to come to the negotiating table."
He further remarked that the discussion with Trump and Vance "did not go the way it was supposed to be," but Zelenskyy said "it is time to make things right."
"My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts," he said in a lengthy statement on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called his meeting at the White House last week "regrettable" on Tuesday and said he is ready to pursue peace under President Donald Trump's leadership.
Zelenskyy made the concession in a lengthy statement posted to social media on Tuesday, saying Ukraine "is ready to come to the negotiating table." He added that last week's meeting "did not go the way it was supposed to be," and he said "it is time to make things right."
"My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts," Zelenskyy wrote.
"We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal," he added.
"We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this," the statement continued.
"Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive. Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively," Zelenskyy concluded.
Zelenskyy's statement comes after White House national security advisor Mike Waltz called Zelenskyy's clash with Trump "ridiculous" in a Monday appearance on Fox News. Waltz said Trump's White House needed to hear that Zelenskyy "has regret for what happened" and that he is now "ready to engage in peace talks."
The drawdown of hostilities referenced in Zelenskyy's statement mirrors that proposed by European leaders in a meeting with Zelenskyy on Sunday.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a freeze on strikes from the air, sea and on energy infrastructure for 30 days in Ukraine. Macron told French media the window could be used to negotiate a wider peace deal.
Trump's White House has yet to weigh in on the proposal.
Zelenskyy's statement came less than a day after Trump paused all aid to Ukraine on Monday night. A senior Trump administration official also told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.
"This is not permanent termination of aid, it's a pause," the official emphasized. "The orders are going out right now."
Most of the media are blaming Donald Trump for the shocking shouting match that led to him kicking Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House.
The result, these journalists and commentators say, is to put America’s relationship with Ukraine on life support as its people continue to fight and die in an invasion launched by Russia, even as Trump continues to tout his good relationship with Vladimir Putin. It’s the Kremlin leader who is the dictator, not Zelenskyy, and it is Russia, not Ukraine, that started the war to restore its smaller neighbor to Soviet satellite status – as Trump well knows.
There is no question that Trump, prodded by JD Vance, lost his temper in the Oval Office and that derailed the meeting, leaving the lunch that had been prepared for their teams to be eaten by staffers.
But Trump also makes a fair point that he can’t do a deal with Russia if he’s constantly attacking its leader (something he’s obviously not inclined to do, given their history, including the Helsinki summit).
At the same time, Zelenskyy was justified in asking for security guarantees, saying that Putin has a history of violating agreements, from the 2014 invasion of Crimea to the brutal war – including the deliberate targeting of civilians – that he launched three years ago.
But Zelenskyy had one job: Manage the meeting with Trump and sign the expected rare minerals agreement. And he utterly failed. He took the bait. And while he might have gotten some sympathy – Britain and France embraced him and promised to send peacekeeping troops after a settlement – the Ukrainian leader may have irreparably damaged his relationship with Trump.
The president was blunt in saying that without U.S. aid, Zelenskyy doesn’t have "the cards" to play – but he is right.
I did a lengthy "Media Buzz" interview with Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, leading off with the White House fireworks. She is very skilled at pushing back.
She told me Zelenskyy was "antagonistic, and frankly, he was rude. He picked a fight with the Vice President of the United States." (It was kinda the other way around.) "He repeatedly interrupted President Trump." (That’s true.)
"President Zelenskyy wouldn't even agree to a ceasefire. If you want a war to end. How can you not agree to stop the fighting? You have the greatest deterrent in the Oval Office in President Trump, and you need to trust his ability to deter Russia's aggression."
Well, Zelenskyy doesn’t trust Trump because he believes a ceasefire would lock in Russia’s territorial gains from the invasion. But what choice does he have?
The thing that struck me most is that I can’t imagine this meltdown would have happened if the meeting was held behind closed doors – the usual venue for finalizing agreements. So as much as I support journalistic access, it’s 40 minutes of press questions that framed the dialogue.
So I asked Leavitt why, even though Trump ended things by pronouncing it "great television," he did the meeting in public.
"Because President Trump is the most transparent president in history," she responded. "And as he said, it was great for the cameras to be in there because the American people and the world were able to see what the president and his team has seen behind the scenes in negotiating with President Zelenskyy's team."
Will Zelenskyy come back to the White House when, as Trump said, he’s ready to make peace? Who the hell knows at this point? But it’s a huge setback.
David Sanger, the veteran diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, has the most penetrating big-picture take.
What the president wants "is a normalization of the relationship with Russia. If that means rewriting the history of Moscow’s illegal invasion three years ago, dropping investigations of Russian war crimes or refusing to offer Ukraine long-lasting security guarantees, then Mr. Trump, in this assessment of his intentions, is willing to make that deal."
Sanger suggests that Trump, a constant critic of NATO, is walking away from the Atlantic alliance that has thrived for 80 years.
The president "makes no secret of his view that the post-World War II system, created by Washington, ate away at American power."
To Trump, "such a system gave smaller and less powerful countries leverage over the United States, leaving Americans to pick up far too much of the tab for defending allies and promoting their prosperity.
"While his predecessors – both Democrats and Republicans – insisted that alliances in Europe and Asia were America’s greatest force multiplier, keeping the peace and allowing trade to flourish, Mr. Trump viewed them as a bleeding wound."
Look, Trump ran as the America First candidate who kept us out of wars. Many Americans, especially Republicans, have lost patience with U.S. aid to Ukraine when the money could be spent at home. The aid, I should add, is nowhere near the $350 billion that Trump keeps claiming, but it’s been substantial.
The rare minerals deal at least would have given the United States an economic incentive to keep backing Ukraine and partially paid our country back for its generosity.
But there is, in my view, a far stronger argument for supporting Ukraine. If Putin succeeds in dismembering part of the country, he will have been rewarded for launching the illegal invasion, and its barbaric practice of deliberately bombing apartment buildings and train stations.
And does anyone seriously believe he would stop there? Isn’t it extremely likely that Putin would attack another neighboring country?
Trump’s approach, aligning ourselves with Russia at the expense of Europe, may well be popular. But if he stands by that plan, the shouting in the White House may be remembered as a turning point for the old world order.
Footnote: Zelenskyy said something monumentally dumb yesterday that vindicated Trump’s stance that he’s not ready to reach a settlement with Russia. Zelenskyy predicted that the end of the war was "still very, very far away," the AP reports.
The president quickly took to Truth Social: "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!...What are they thinking?" And Trump later told reporters: "Now maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long."
What are they thinking? I don’t have a clue. This is clearly self-destructive.
President Donald Trump said he would reveal the future of a rare-earth minerals deal with Ukraine Tuesday during his address to Congress, after peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to a halt Friday after a disorderly White House visit.
Zelenskyy visited Washington Friday amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, and was poised to sign a minerals agreement that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for U.S. support in the country.
But after a tense exchange between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy over whether diplomacy was the correct avenue to secure a peace deal and whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted, Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House and said the Ukrainian leader could return when he was ready for peace.
When asked Monday about the status of the rare-earth minerals deal, Trump told reporters that he would disclose where the deal stands when he addresses a joint session of Congress Tuesday in a speech akin to the annual State of the Union.
"I'll let you know," Trump told reporters Monday. "We're making a speech, you've probably heard about it, tomorrow night. I'll let you know tomorrow night ... it's a great deal for us."
Zelenskyy told reporters in London Sunday that he was still on board with the deal, and that he predicts the relationship between Ukraine and the U.S. will persevere.
Trump also said Monday he wanted to see the Ukrainian leader express more gratitude for U.S. support during the war in order to rekindle peace negotiations with Zelenskyy.
"I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with him through thick and thin," Trump said. "We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us because, as you know, that’s right there, that’s the border."
Trump previously hailed the minerals agreement as a breakthrough deal that would benefit both the U.S. and Ukraine, touting that it would serve as the foundation for a more "sustainable" future relationship between the two countries and allow the U.S. access to resources like oil and gas that "we need for our country."
"We're going to be signing really a very important agreement for both sides, because it's really going to get us into that country," Trump told reporters Thursday while meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "We'll have a lot of people working there and so, in that sense, it's very good."
Trump also said Thursday it would reimburse taxpayers for financial contributions backing Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Precise numbers on financial assistance to Ukraine vary slightly, depending on what is considered aid. However, the Council on Foreign Relations reports that Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine.
All European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 amounts to roughly $138.7 billion, German-based think tank Kiel Institute estimates. The organization also estimates that the U.S. contributed $119.7 billion in that same time frame.
The meeting between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy soured after Zelenskyy said that Putin couldn't be trusted and had breached other agreements. Trump and Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a "bad position" at the negotiating table.
"You're playing cards," Trump said Friday. "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 the country, this country."
Following his departure from the White House on Friday Zelenskyy issued a social media post on X expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its support.
"Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit," Zelenskyy said. "Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
President Donald Trump once again attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday after the Ukrainian leader suggested the end of its war with Russia remains "very, very far away."
Trump made the statement on social media, reacting to news reports of Zelenskyy's comments. The White House has said it wants a public apology from Zelenskyy for a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday.
"This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer! It is what I was saying. This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing," Trump wrote.
"Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" he added.
Trump's statement comes after Zelenskyy met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, among other European leaders.
Ukraine's leader had been scheduled to visit the White House last week to sign a rare earth minerals agreement with the Trump administration, but he was kicked out before signing the deal. While Zelenskyy says he is still willing to sign the deal, Trump's White House says they now expect a public apology.
Zelenskyy retorted that Graham could weigh in on Ukrainian leadership when he became a Ukrainian citizen, to which Graham responded: "Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine."
According to the senator, he doesn't think Americans see the Ukrainian president as someone they feel comfortable going "into business with" following the televised dispute.
Graham also stressed that the Ukrainian-American relationship is "vitally important." However, he cast doubt on whether Zelenskyy could ever "do a deal with the United States."
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized his former national security advisor on Sunday and said the U.S. government should spend less time worrying about Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine.
Trump made the comments Sunday night in a pair of posts on his social media platform Truth Social after Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump's national security adviser during his first administration, criticized the president for "coddling Putin" while putting increased pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"H.R. MCMASTER IS A WEAK AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE LOSER!" Trump wrote.
"We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country - So that we don’t end up like Europe!" he said in a follow-up post.
McMaster had criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance after their meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. During the negotiations, Trump and Vance heavily criticized the Ukrainian president in a tense exchange between the two countries' leaders before the U.S. president cut the meeting short and sent Zelenskyy on his way.
"It is impossible to understand why President Trump and Vice President Vance seem determined to put more pressure on President Zelensky while they seem to be coddling Putin - the person who inflicted this terrible war in Ukraine," McMaster said Friday on X.
The blowup in the Oval Office was sparked by Zelenskyy's request for security guarantees as the war continues after Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago.
Russian leaders and Russian state media appeared joyous after the testy exchange.
But several leaders from Europe and elsewhere came to Zelenskyy's defense after the exchange, and the Ukrainian president thanked each of them for their support on social media.
A handful of European leaders are coming under the microscope of critics on social media for issuing pro-Ukraine messages with the exact same wording following Ukraine President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy's fiery meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday.
"Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace," read verbatim social media posts from at least five different European leaders since Friday.
The president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, European Parliament member Manfred Weber, and European Council President António Costa all posted the same exact social media message on Friday, a review of X shows.
Fox News Digital reached out to the European Parliament and European Commission on Sunday afternoon regarding the posts but did not immediately receive replies.
Social media users quickly caught on that the messages were exactly the same, criticizing them as "kinda creepy" and asking tongue-in-cheek questions such as, "has the EU been bots this whole time?"
Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House on Friday following a fiery meeting in the Oval Office, with Zelenskyy heading to Europe shortly afterward. Trump said Zelenskyy could return to the White House "when he is ready for peace."
Zelenskyy met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday, with the pair spotted on camera embracing upon Zelenskyy's arrival.
"We stand with Ukraine for as long as it may take," Starmer said on Saturday while offering the UK's "unwavering" support for Ukraine.
A group of European leaders met in London on Sunday after Starmer told local media that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S.
The UK leader vowed in comments on Sunday that the nation is "ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air" to support Ukraine against Russia and ultimately reach a peace deal.
"We discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is tough and fair, that Ukraine will help shape, that's backed by strength, to stop Putin coming back for more," Starmer said on Sunday. "I'm working closely with other European leaders on this, and I'm clear that the U.K. is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last."
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard joined "Fox News Sunday" ahead of the London meeting, slamming some European nations for breaking with the U.S. on the value of freedom and reaching peace in Eastern Europe after criticizing Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy.
"I think those who are criticizing [Trump's] efforts in this way are showing that they are not committed to peace, and in the case of many of those European countries, that they're not committed to the cause and values of freedom, even though they speak of this," Gabbard told Fox News' Shannon Bream on Sunday morning when asked about Democrat U.S. politicians criticizing the meeting at the White House and Russia celebrating Trump's tense meeting with Zelenskyy.
"We heard very clearly, during Vice President Vance's speech in Munich, different examples of how these European partners and longtime allies, in many cases, are actually implementing policies that undermine democracy that shows that they don't actually believe in the voices of the people being heard, and implementing anti-freedom policies. We're seeing this in the United Kingdom. We're seeing this in Germany. We saw it with the tossing out of the elections in Romania," she continued.
The tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy puts the spotlight on some European nations' "divergence" from promoting freedom and reaching peace in Eastern Europe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on "Fox News Sunday."
"I think those who are criticizing [Trump's] efforts in this way are showing that they are not committed to peace, and in the case of many of those European countries, that they're not committed to the cause and values of freedom, even though they speak of this," Gabbard told Fox News' Shannon Bream on Sunday morning when asked about Democrat U.S. politicians criticizing the meeting at the White House and Russia celebrating Trump's tense meeting with Zelenskyy.
"We heard very clearly during Vice President Vance's speech in Munich, different examples of how these European partners and longtime allies, in many cases, are actually implementing policies that undermine democracy that shows that they don't actually believe in the voices of the people being heard, and implementing anti-freedom policies. We're seeing this in the United Kingdom. We're seeing this in Germany. We saw it with the tossing out of the elections in Romania," she continued.
Zelenskyy traveled to the UK over the weekend, following his meeting with Trump and Vance, which culminated in Trump telling the Ukraine leader to leave the White House, while adding in a social media post that Zelenskyy can come back for another meeting "when he is ready for Peace."
On Saturday, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was seen hugging him and told local media on Sunday that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S.
European leaders are meeting in London on Sunday to further discuss a peace plan.
Gabbard argued in her interview that "there's something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between" U.S. values and national security versus European countries offering continued support for the war.
"There's something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between the values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are fighting for, the values that are enshrined in our Constitution, the interests of the American people in our peace and freedom and national security, versus those of many of these European countries who are coming to Zelenskyy's side as he walked out of the White House, saying basically, that they are going to support him in continuing this war, and that they don't stand with us around these fundamental values of freedom," she said.
Bream followed-up by asking Gabbard whether she would identify Russia as a country that celebrates freedom similarly to the U.S., which Gabbard denied, adding "that's not really what we're talking about here."
"I would not make that claim, and it's clear that that's not the case, nor does President Trump. But that's not really what we're talking about here. We're talking about many of these European countries and Zelenskyy himself, who claim to be standing and fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy, when we actually look at what's happening in reality in these countries, as well as with the Zelenskyy's government in Ukraine, is the exact opposite."
"You have the canceling of elections in Ukraine. You have political parties being silenced or even criminalized or thrown in prison. You have the freedom of religion, churches being shut down, you have political opposition being silenced, you have total government control of the media."
"It really begs the question," she continued. "As Vice President Vance said again in Munich, it's clear that they're standing against Putin. Obviously, that's clear. But what are they actually really fighting for, and are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with us? The values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing for, and those are the values of freedom, of peace and true security."
Zelenskyy's White House visit was cut short on Friday following the heated exchange, which included Vance asking the Ukraine leader about his gratitude for the U.S.'s assistance across the years, and Trump telling Zelenskyy that Ukraine will either make a deal with the U.S. or battle the war on their own.
"You're either going to 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, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing," Trump said on Friday.
As part of the peace deal, the Trump administration was also working to ink an agreement with Ukraine that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support that the U.S. has offered the nation since war broke out in 2022.
Zelenskyy did join Fox News' Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump over the meeting.
The Ukraine president, however, did not offer an apology but did say that he respects Trump and the U.S.
"I'm very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I'm thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support," he responded when asked about an apology. "You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive."
"No, I respect the president, and I respect American people ... I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad," he added when asked again whether he believes he owes Trump an apology.
Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations.
"We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday, according to a report from Reuters.
The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated Oval Office exchange.
"Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick... No Fuel to Americans!," the company said in a Facebook post that has since been deleted.
The company’s CEO, Gunnar Gran, confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper VG that he had decided not to supply the U.S. military, according to the Reuters report, though the company also acknowledged that the move would only have a "symbolic" impact, since Haltbakk Bunkers does not have a fixed contract with the U.S. government.
The company’s threat comes after a heated exchange in the Oval Office among Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, when Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful" to Trump in the White House.
"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country."
Trump then joined the fray after Zelenskyy claimed that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future," an argument the American leader did not appreciate.
"You don't know that," Trump responded. "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."
The exchange caused some to express concerns about not only the U.S.'s commitment to Ukraine’s continued war effort but also Trump’s apparent strained relationship with European allies overall.
But Norway, a NATO ally, made clear that the country has no plans to join the threats to cut off the U.S. military.
"American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway," Sandvik said.
College football coaching legend Lou Holtz praised President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Saturday following an argument with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Holtz praised Trump and Vance’s leadership in a post on X.
"It’s moments like these that remind us of what real leadership looks like," he wrote. "Proud of @realDonaldTrump & @JDVance for always putting America first."
Zelenskyy’s first meeting with Trump and Vance at the White House on Friday resulted in an argument. Vance told the Ukrainian leader that a path to securing peace between Russia and Ukraine would be through the United States engaging in diplomacy. Zelenskyy then tried to engage in a line of questioning about Russia's moves since 2014 and attempts at diplomacy.
Zelenskyy later said that under war, "everybody has problems, even you," and that the United States would feel the war "in the future." Trump said that Zelenskyy didn’t "know" for sure that would happen. The conversation got more intense from there.
Trump told Zelenskyy he was "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 the country — this country — that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have," Trump said.
Zelenskyy appeared on Fox News Channel’s "Special Report." He said he wasn’t sure that "we did something bad." He said the incident with "bad for both sides."
Holtz wasn’t the only sports figure to weigh in.
NFL legend Brett Favre also gave his reaction on the issue.
"This was a bit unreal to watch. A foreign leader speaking to a sitting U.S. President like this," Favre wrote in response to a clip of the argument. "Glad Donald Trump and JD Vance are standing up for America."
Fox News' Madeline Coggins contributed to this report.
Months after war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, then-President Joe Biden had a fiery private phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which included Biden allegedly losing "his temper" and calling on Ukraine to "show a little more gratitude" towards the U.S. for its support, a resurfaced 2022 NBC News report shows.
"Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy that he had just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting," according to an NBC report published in November 2022, recounting a prior June 2022 call that Biden and Zelenskyy shared.
"Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. The American people were being quite generous, and his administration and the U.S. military were working hard to help Ukraine, he said, raising his voice, and Zelenskyy could show a little more gratitude," the report continued.
The reported tense exchange on the phone came just months after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The pair's relationship "only improved" following the phone call, Biden administration officials told NBC at the time.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office on Sunday morning for additional comment on the 2022 phone call but did not immediately receive a reply.
The report resurfaced over the weekend, following President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's fiery meeting with Zelenskyy, which included the VP pressing the Ukraine leader on his gratitude for the U.S.'s assistance across the years, and Trump asking Zelenskyy to leave the White House – stipulating that he can return "when he is ready for Peace."
The White House meeting grew tense in approximately its final 10 minutes, after Vance said that peace would be reached between Russia and Ukraine through U.S. diplomacy efforts.
"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country."
"Have you've ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?" Zelenskyy shot back.
"I've actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour," Vance continued. "Mr. President, do you disagree that you've had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to, trying to prevent the destruction of your country?"
Zelenskyy continued that under war, "everybody has problems, even you," and that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future."
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump shot back at Zelenskyy.
"You're gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump added at another point during the exchange. "You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country."
Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had "said thank you once this entire meeting." He also added that Zelenskyy "went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October" and that he should "offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country."
Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, though exact monetary figures on how much the U.S. has provided to Ukraine vary based on what is considered aid.
Total European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute. The U.S. contributed $119.7 billion during that same timeframe, Fox Digital previously reported.
Trump continued in his remarks to Zelenskyy that "the problem is, I've empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don't think you'd be a tough guy without the United States."
"And your people are very brave. But you're either going to 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, but you'll fight it out. But you don't have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position. But you're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing," Trump said.
Zelenskyy left the White House shortly after. The Trump administration canceled a planned press conference with Zelenskyy later that day, while a planned speaking event featuring the Ukraine leader at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank was canceled.
Zelenskyy did join Fox News' Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump. U.S. leaders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called on Zelenskyy to apologize for the Oval Office meeting, but the Ukraine president bucked the calls during the Baier interview, while adding that he respects Trump and the U.S.
"I'm very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I'm thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support," he responded when asked about an apology. "You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive."
"No, I respect the president and I respect American people. . . . I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad," he added when asked again whether he believes he owes Trump an apology.
Zelenskyy traveled to the UK over the weekend, meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who told local media that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S.
European leaders are slated to travel to London on Sunday to further discuss a peace plan.
Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Ukraine lost hundreds of troops on the battlefield on the same day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a fiery fallout with President Donald Trump in the White House – underlining the high-stakes nature of the tense negotiations.
The Ukrainian army lost over 220 troops in the Kursk Region in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, per the Russian news agency Tass. The Kursk region, also known as Kursk Oblast, is located in western Russia and borders the northeastern part of Ukraine.
The troops were killed as 11 armored combat vehicles, 12 motor vehicles and seven artillery pieces were destroyed by the Russian army.
An infantry fighting vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, seven drone control points and an ammunition depot were also "wiped out," the statement reads.
The heavy losses come as talks between Trump and Zelenskyy publicly fell apart on Friday, in a discussion where Vice President JD Vance highlighted Ukraine’s struggles to recruit troops.
"During the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have a nice ocean and don't feel [it] now, but you will feel it in the future," Zelenskyy said.
That comment irked Trump and drew him into the clash which ultimately led to the talks falling apart, a canceled press conference and a minerals deal off the table.
Exact numbers of war casualties are hard to quantify due to conflicting reports and limited access to reliable data.
Trump has previously said that "millions" of troops have perished, but Zelenskyy reported earlier this month that around 45,100 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed with an additional 390,000 wounded.
A report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimates that a minimum of 172,000 Russian troops have been killed and 611,000 wounded, of which at least 376,000 are severely wounded.
Trump accused Zelenskyy of "disrespecting" the U.S. during their meeting Friday and said the Ukrainian leader was not ready to secure peace for his country.
"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," Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. "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."
Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he had been president in 2022, the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected.
Fox News’ Diane Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Vice President JD Vance defended President Donald Trump and his administration’s foreign policy agenda Friday during a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — inserting himself into a spotlight rarely seen by vice presidents.
Trump and Vance sparred in the Oval Office Friday with Zelenskyy amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine — an exchange that ultimately prompted Trump to announce an end to peace negotiations and request that the Ukrainian leader leave the White House.
A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that there was no expectation of the meeting leading to a combative exchange, and that Trump and Vance were both caught off guard by Zelenskyy’s behavior.
While vice presidents traditionally remain in the wings while the president takes center stage, Friday's encounter with Zelenskyy exposed the weight Vance carries directing and advancing the Trump administration's America First agenda — both at home and abroad.
The Oval Office encounter with Zelenskyy also comes on the heels of Vance's Feb. 14 appearance at the Munich Security Conference — an event that left a lasting impression on European nations and their relationships with the U.S.
Specifically, Vance said Russia and China don't pose as great a threat to European nations as the "threat from within," in reference to issues like censorship and illegal immigration.
"To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don’t like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election," Vance said.
The remarks prompted backlash from European leaders, including German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said he interpreted the remarks as a comparison to "conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes."
Tensions escalated in the Oval Office Friday after Zelenskyy pushed back on Vance’s statements that the path forward was through diplomacy, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken other agreements in the past.
"What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?" Zelenskyy said. "What do you mean?"
In response, Vance said, "I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country."
"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country."
Zelenskyy then asked Vance if he’d ever visited Ukraine, prompting Vance to question again if Zelenskyy disagreed that Ukraine has had challenges recruiting new troops.
"And do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?" Vance said.
Zelenskyy replied that everyone faces challenges during wartime, and that although an ocean protected the U.S. from Russia, he cautioned that the U.S. would feel the threat eventually. The implication that the U.S. would one day be vulnerable seemed to set Trump off.
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump said. "We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel.
"You are in no position to dictate that, remember that."
Vance and Zelenskyy also sparred when Vance asked if Zelenskyy had ever said "'thank you' once this entire meeting," prompting Zelenskyy to assert that Vance was speaking "loudly."
Trump then snapped at Zelenskyy and warned him that Ukraine was in "big trouble."
"Wait a minute," Trump said. "No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble."
Zelenskyy visited Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and was expected to sign a minerals agreement that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia's invasion in 2022.
But after the tense exchange in the Oval Office, Trump announced a halt to peace negotiations and said that Zelenskyy could return to the White House when he was "ready for Peace." Additionally, Zelenskyy left the White House without signing the minerals deal.
"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," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday. "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."
Zelenskyy also followed up with a social media post on X expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its support.
"Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit," Zelenskyy said. "Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
The exchange prompted mixed reactions from those on Capitol Hill. Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina said Zelenskyy should resign, while Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that "Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work."
The Associated Press and Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
The Trump administration’s efforts to broker a peace negotiation ending the war in Ukraine came to a halt Friday following a testy exchange between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The encounter ultimately led to a canceled press conference, Trump requesting Zelenskyy to leave the White House, and the failure to sign a rare-earth minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine that would have allowed the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals.
Tensions escalated in the Oval Office after Zelenskyy challenged Vance, who said that the path forward was through diplomacy. Instead, Zelenskyy issued a caution and noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken other agreements in the past.
"What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?" Zelenskyy said. "What do you mean?"
In response, Vance said: "I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country."
"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country."
Trump also snapped at Zelenskyy and warned him that Ukraine was in "big trouble" and was "gambling with World War III."
Following the encounter, Trump announced a pause to peace negotiations and said that Zelenskyy could return to the White House when he was "ready for Peace." Additionally, Zelenskyy left the White House without signing the minerals deal.
"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," Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. "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."
Zelenskyy also followed up with a social media post on X expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its support.
"Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit," Zelenskyy said. "Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
Despite the fallout from the meeting, Zelenskyy told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Friday that the relationship between Ukraine and the U.S. could be salvaged.
Here’s what else happened at the White House this week:
The Trump administration also sent a memo instructing agencies across the federal government to launch plans for "large-scale reductions in force" and construct reorganization plans by mid-March.
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management sent a memo on Wednesday ordering agencies to prepare to cut staffers and share reorganization plans by March 13.
"The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt," the memo said. "At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public."
Several federal government roles are exempt from the order, including those "necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities," according to the memo.
Trump held his second administration's first meeting with Cabinet members Wednesday, where he shared plans to massively cut the Environmental Protection Agency and seek to retrieve military equipment left in Afghanistan.
Trump revealed that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is eyeing cutting 65% of federal employees from the agency.
"I spoke with Lee Zeldin, and he thinks he’s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from Environmental, and we’re going to speed up the process too at the same time," Trump said. "He had a lot of people that weren’t doing their job, they were just obstructionists, and a lot of people that didn’t exist."
Trump also shared that he wanted back the military equipment U.S. troops left behind when withdrawing from Afghanistan, but didn’t share plans on how the U.S. would retrieve the equipment.
"We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks," Trump said Wednesday. "You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America ... that’s all the top of the line stuff. I think we should get a lot of that equipment back."
The Taliban seized most of the more than $7 billion worth of equipment U.S. troops left in Afghanistan at the time of the withdrawal in August 2021, according to a Department of Defense report released in 2022.
Trump signed an executive order Friday mandating English as the official language of the U.S. The order eradicates a previous mandate from President Bill Clinton in 2000 requiring federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to issue language assistance to those who don’t speak English.
The executive order allows each federal agency to determine whether it will offer services in languages besides English.
The U.S. is an anomaly in that it has never had an official language, whereas roughly 180 countries out of the 195 countries in the world have official languages, a White House official told Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of national intelligence, thanked President Donald Trump Friday for his "unwavering leadership" after his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day.
"Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership in standing up for the interests of the American people, and peace," Gabbard wrote on X Friday evening, hours after the fiery exchange.
"What you said is absolutely true: Zelensky has been trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia/WW3 for years now, and no one has."
Tensions increased during the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn't be trusted and had breached other agreements.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a "bad position" at the negotiating table.
"You're playing cards," Trump said. "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 the country, this country."
After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means "everybody has problems, even you," adding the U.S. would feel the war "in the future."
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel," Trump responded. "We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel."
Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a press conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.
"Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit," he wrote on X. "Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
The Ukrainian president told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview after the meeting he believes Ukrainian-U.S. ties can be salvaged.
"Yes, of course, because it's relations more than two presidents," he said in the exclusive interview on "Special Report." "It's the historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that's why I always began … to thank your people from our people.
"Of course, thankful to the president and, of course, to Congress," he said, "But, first of all, to your people … we wanted very much to have all this strong relations and where it counted. We will have it."
Zelenskyy said he was "not sure we did something bad" when asked about the heated exchange but conceded the dustup was "bad for both sides."
Trump also received support from Republicans like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Trump was "standing up for America," while Democrats like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly wrote on X, "To be clear, the only winner in this shouting match in the Oval Office is Putin. Almost can’t believe this happened."
During a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova appeared distraught with her head in her hand.
The moment was captured in a number of viral photos and videos as Trump questioned Zelenskyy about not wanting a ceasefire with Russia at a live White House press event.
As shaky microphones hovered above the spatting leaders, Markarova lowered her head to her right hand and closed her eyes.
President Trump addressed Zelenskyy, saying, "You're saying you don't want a ceasefire. I want a ceasefire because you get a ceasefire faster than an agreement."
The Ukrainian president chimed in, "I said to you … with guarantees. Ask our people about [a] ceasefire, [about] what they think."
Trump starkly halted the conversation, saying "that wasn't with me."
The leaders were expected to sign a deal sharing Ukraine's rare earth minerals and discuss a peace deal with Russia when the conversation turned contentious.
After questions were posed by Zelenskyy about diplomacy, Vice President JD Vance reprimanded him for "try[ing] to litigate" in front of the American media, calling his actions "disrespectful."
"Do you think that it's respectful to come into the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country," Vance asked Zelenskyy.
Sources close to Zelenskyy noted tensions were high prior to the meeting, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Zelenskyy reportedly rejected the mineral security agreement before Friday's meeting due to the absence of security guarantees protecting Ukraine from another Russian invasion.
Even though the Ukrainian president warned he would need those assurances to sign the deal, sources said the dismissal angered Trump and Vance.
Just minutes after reporters asked their first questions, the heated disagreement unfolded.
Reporters watched in shock as the meeting came to an abrupt halt, and Zelenskyy was rushed out of the White House.
Minutes later, Trump posted to Truth Social, saying, "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."
Zelenskyy subsequently posted to X, thanking America and Trump for their support and allowing the visit.
"Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that," he wrote in the post.
Markarova was ambassador for roughly a year when Russia invaded Ukraine, thrusting her into the spotlight.
In September, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a letter to Zelenskyy seeking Markarova's firing after she allegedly organized a U.S. taxpayer-funded tour of an American manufacturing site for Zelenskyy in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Johnson, R-La., said the tour "purposely excluded" Republicans, calling it "election interference."
"The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris and failed to include a single Republican because — on purpose — no Republicans were invited," Johnson wrote in the letter.
He said the "shortsighted and intentionally political move" prompted Republicans to "lose trust" in Markarova’s ability to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat.
"She should be removed from her post immediately," Johnson wrote.
The Embassy of Ukraine to the United States of America did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Caitlin McFall and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
