Words the US President Donald Trump reportedly said about Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their tumultuous Oval Office meeting have reportedly been revealed after being picked up by a hot mic.
On February 28, President Zelenskyy, 47, attended a meeting with Trump, 78, at the White House, with plans to take part in a joint press conference and sign a rare earth minerals deal.
The pair exchanged heated words in Washington, with the 47th POTUS accusing the politician of ‘gambling with World War III’ and of not having the ‘cards’ to continue its fight with Russia.
It appeared Trump also winked at a journalist who questioned the Ukrainian leader on why he didn’t wear a suit to their meeting.
Zelenskyy proceeded to leave the US capital early after the press conference was cancelled, heading to the UK to meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ahead of an international security summit.
Previously, it was debated whether Zelenskyy exited the White House on his own merit, or whether he was ordered to leave.
The latter appears to be correct, if reports of a hot mic catching President Trump’s orders can be believed.
The Daily Mail claims that The Apprentice mogul instructed his aides to take Zelenskyy from the Oval Office to a room down the hall called the Roosevelt room.
It was there that he and his team were allegedly informed that Trump wanted them off the premises.
A hot mic has reportedly picked up what Trump said after the exchange (ABC 7News)
Speaking to an aide as press left the room, Trump said: “You’re right, maybe we should [inaudible]. Let’s have a little something…
“Would you bring them to the Roosevelt Room?”
In the wake of the fiery meeting, Zelenskyy has thanked the US and Trump for their ongoing support via social media.
The message came after Vice President JD Vance, 40, criticised Zelenskyy for ‘not saying thank you’ during the heated exchange.
“Do you think it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America that’s trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” Vance quelled.
“Have you said thank you once? During this entire meeting?”
After defending himself, Zelenskyy took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and wrote: “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians.
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace. None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under…
“My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Trump, who has also received a letter from Zelenskyy making remarks in a similar vein to that of his social media post, has said he ‘appreciated’ the Ukrainian Prime Minister reaching out to him.
He also claimed there had been ‘serious discussions’ with Russia and that he’d received ‘strong signals that they are ready for peace’.
It was not revealed when these alleged talks had taken place, nor whether Trump himself had been involved in them.
Featured Image Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News
Ella Scott
Zelenskyy speaks out in interview and refuses to apologise after being accused of ‘gambling with WW3’ by Trump
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy were filmed in a heated exchange yesterday
After being accused of ‘gambling with World War III’ by Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke out in an interview.
The Ukrainian president didn’t apologise for the exchange as he said he wanted the US to ‘be more on our side’.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office yesterday (28 February) as talks descended into a heated argument.
He ended up leaving the White House early, putting plans for the US and Ukraine to sign a minerals agreement on hold with their joint press conference cancelled.
A video from the meeting features Trump telling Zelenskyy: “You either make a deal or we are out. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
And he then slams: “You’re not in a very good position, you’ve allowed yourself to be in a bad position… you don’t have the cards right now… you’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III!”
Having taken to X afterwards to thank America for the ‘support’, Zelenskyy wrote: “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
He also spoke out on the meeting in an interview with Fox News, saying he is confident the relationship with Trump can be salvaged.
“Because it’s relations more than two presidents. It’s the historical relations, strong relations between our people, and that’s why I always began… to thank your people from our people,” he explained.
Things got heated between the pair (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“Of course, thankful to the president, and, of course, to Congress, but first of all, to your people. Your people helped save our people… we wanted very much to have all these strong relations, and where it counted, we will have it.”
Zelenskyy said the whole exchange was ‘bad for both sides’ but that he is ‘not sure that we did something bad’.
“I just want to be honest, and I just want our partners to understand the situation correctly, and I want to understand everything correctly. That’s about us not to lose our friendship,” he added.
Trump also shared a statement about the tense meeting on his Truth Social platform.
Zelenskyy says he thinks things can be salvaged (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
He said: “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and 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.”
Former president and deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev also shared a shocking statement on X: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII’.”
