The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has abruptly left the White House early without a critical minerals deal with the United States, after an extraordinary verbal clash in the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump.
He was expected to sign the minerals deal during his visit to Washington, but talks have been cut short after a bitter exchange with Mr Trump and his Vice President JD Vance.
Mr Zelenskyy has been insisting any peace deal with Russia includes security guarantees from the US for Ukraine.
Mr Trump accused Mr Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War III" and said he had "no cards" to play without US support and accused Ukraine's leader of being "disrespectful".
Mr Zelenskyy had travelled to Washington DC to discuss the minerals deal as Mr Trump seeks to broker an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Tensions spill over
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting in the White House devolved into a verbal spat between the leaders.
It started after Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin had breached earlier agreements about attacking Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president told Mr Trump that promises of peace from Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted.
US Vice-President JD Vance said, "What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That's what President Trump's doing."
Mr Zelenskyy questioned that, saying, "Putin broke the ceasefire. What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?"
"I think it's disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media," Mr Vance replied.
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump then repeatedly shouted over each other, with Mr Trump telling the Ukrainian president that he was losing the war, adding, "people are dying, you're running low on soldiers."
Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy he was not in a very good position and Ukraine was in "big trouble".
"You've got to be more thankful," Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy, adding that the Ukrainian leader is "gambling with World War III."
"I said a lot of times, thank you to American people," Mr Zelenskyy said.
After leaving the White House, he posted on X, "Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit."
[TWEET VZ]Donald Trump threatened to withdraw US support during the stand-off in front of reporters.
"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," Mr Trump said.
"You don't have the cards. 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."
Mr Zelenskyy openly challenged the US president over his softer approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to "make no compromises with a killer".
He also showed the US president photos of Ukrainians who he said had been mistreated by Russians.
At the end of the meeting, Mr Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social.
"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,” Mr Trump wrote.
[Trump x POST]A scheduled press conference from the leaders was cancelled after the verbal stoush.
The Ukrainian leader also pulled the pin on various other talking appearances he was scheduled to make while in Washington.
After the talks, Mr Trump directed two top aides to tell Mr Zelenskyy it was time to leave, even as attendants were preparing to serve lunch to the delegations, according to a White House official.
The Ukrainians were instructed to depart despite their desire to continue the talks, the official added.
The unprecedented breakdown in diplomacy comes 10 days after Mr Trump called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator", a comment that came after Mr Zelenskyy accused the US president of living in a "disinformation space".
European leaders defend Zelenskyy
Mr Trump later told reporters as he left the White House that Mr Zelenskyy needed to realise he was losing the war.
"What he's got to say is, 'I want to make peace.' He doesn’t have to stand there and say 'Putin this, Putin that,' all negative things. He’s got to say, 'I want to make peace.' I don't want to fight a war anymore," Mr Trump said.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appeared to revel in the spectacle, writing on Telegram that the Ukrainian leader had received a "brutal dressing down."
Mr Zelenskyy, asked during an interview by Fox News if his relationship with Mr Trump could be salvaged after Friday's eruption, said, "Yes, of course" and appeared to express some regret, adding "I'm sorry for this."
The head of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted a statement on Telegram affirming that his troops stood by Zelenskyy and that Ukraine's strength was in its unity.
European leaders leapt to Mr Zelenskyy's defence.
German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said "we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war."
Mr Zelenskyy spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and EU Council President Antonio Costa, an official in the Ukrainian delegation in Washington told Reuters.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement "we stand with Ukraine."
"We, of course, want to see peace in Ukraine and that's what Ukrainian people want as well," he said.
"I tell you how you get peace in Ukraine quickly, which is Russia stopping it's illegal and immoral invasion and Russia stopping the attacks on civilians, on civil infrastructure, engaging in this act of aggression that they have engaged in now for three years."
Anxious Ukrainians following from afar largely rallied around their leader but fretted about the prospects of continuing flows of US military aid the country has relied on.
Britain is due to host a meeting of Europe's leaders and Mr Zelenskyy on Sunday to discuss a security backstop to any peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
ABC/Reuters
