It was intended to be a victory moment for Ukrainian President Volodimia Zelensky. It was a chance after weeks of maneuvering for an oval office meeting to demonstrate American support in Europe's bloodiest war.
Instead, the meeting was disgraced. Zelensky, who stayed in his country to fight the Russian onslaught and brought together much of the world to support Ukraine, left his head shook as President Trump said he trusted Russia to maintain a ceasefire.
He was accused of being “disrespectful” by Trump and Vice President JD Vance to argue that Russia poses a threat beyond Ukraine. Sometimes, the corners of Zelensky's lips curled as American leaders rebuked him and downplayed the prospect of aid to his troops trapped in a vicious trench battle with Russia.
Trump, who occasionally spoke up, scolded Zelensky, saying, “You don't have a card.”
“I'm not playing cards,” Zelensky replied.
Promotions in the oval office came at a critical time in the war. Ukraine strived to keep Russia at bay in the battle of attrition in Russia's eastern part of Russia, and the Trump administration launched a direct ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Zelensky built these as table seats at ceasefire meetings without leaving what he called Ukraine's important national interests. Air defenses to protect Ukrainian cities and power plants. US military backup for the proposed European-led peacekeeping forces.
However, it was unclear where Zelensky's solidified relationship with Trump would leave Ukraine, where it had been heavily dependent on American support for the past three years.
What was apparent from the start of the diplomatic visit to the sudden finish was a sign of resentment between Zelensky and the Trump administration.
Zelensky said he didn't wear suits to show solidarity with the soldiers, and he wore simple, military-style clothing that he normally wears at official events. When he arrived at the White House, Trump told reporters, “He's all dressed up today!”
Later, at Oval Office, a reporter from Right-wing One America News told Zelensky, “Do you own a suit? Many Americans have problems with you who don't respect the dignity of this office.”
Zelensky, a former comedy actor, went back to the back saying he would wear a suit after the war ended. “Maybe it's like you?” he added. “Maybe better, I don't know.”
The conflict with Trump seemed on a cliff, cutting the meeting, canceling the signature of a highly promoted deal for Ukrainian mineral rights, and Ukraine lost the support of its most powerful supporters.
In diplomacy, Ukraine was engaging with the US in a two-track progressive ceasefire process, hoping that the Trump administration would talk to Russia and Ukraine separately. The mineral contract, which was expected to be a signature for Zelensky's visit, was intended to pave the way for the Ukrainian branch of these talks and was intended to provide Trump with a rationale for spending related to securing a ceasefire.
Before leaving Kiev, Zelensky looked at Ukraine's position to support the Trump administration. The Ukrainian army would not abandon its arm unless there is a guarantee that a ceasefire will be held, he said, and Ukraine would insist on maintaining its troops in combat readiness at “maximum numbers.”
Military-wise, Ukraine does not appear to be at the immediate risk of a major defeat, at least by the standards of close calls of the past, including at least the advance of Russian forces into the capital Kiev during the first few days of the war. The first Russian attack placed Zelensky's presidential room within about 12 miles of enemy forces.
Ukraine has enough ammunition to last until April or May without additional American supplies, military analysts said. Ukraine relies on the US for the Patriot air defense missile. This is the only system that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles, such as the hypersensitivity missiles hanging from Kinzhal.
Western support from the US, including satellite surveillance and rocket artillery, gave Ukraine an advantage. However, Ukrainian ammunition and armored vehicles rely on American ammunition, increasing Ukrainian weapons production, drones explode, exploding domestically, fatally outpacing all other weapons.
In a gust of diplomatic breeze before the meeting in Washington, Zelensky was trying to strengthen support in Europe. He is scheduled to attend a summit of 18 European leaders in London on Sunday, where a European aid pledge was expected. It was unclear whether the intense exchange in the oval office would encourage European leaders to expand support in Ukraine.
The masses by the US President were a surprising point for a leader who elicited applause two years ago from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
However, his style was more or less effective, even if it ranked several observers. Zelensky's theatrical and emotional communication successfully catered Ukraine in the dramatic early months of the war, lifting spirits at home and bringing assistance from allies. It then led to the British Secretary of Defense, who complained at some point he should show gratitude.
When asked in an interview with Fox News Friday night if he was owing an apology to the president, Zelensky said, “I don't know if we've done anything wrong,” but he characterized the conflict as “not good for both sides.”
Zelensky arrived in Washington after long, rocky negotiations, ranging from natural resources to the US Management Fund, for half of the Ukrainian government's future revenue.
Zelensky pushed back the terms of the contract and urged Trump to mistakenly say that Ukraine had begun a war. Zelensky shot back that Trump lived in a bubble of “false information.”
Zelensky's showmanship in driving better deals has prompted him to turn his head upside down in Ukraine. Zelensky attended a meeting on Friday carrying photos of the war victims, apparently ready to reassert the points of Ukraine.
Instead, Friday's encounter will unsettling millions of already exhausted Ukrainians at risk of changing frontlines and missile attacks.
Zelensky has long repeatedly praised Putin, pushing Ukraine to hurt political rivals during his first term, and attempting to walk the tiny line with Trump, who led to his first bounce each. Zelensky has been trying for months to not anger the leaders of his important allies, but he stands firmly when he feels he has no choice, such as Trump's claims about the beginning of the war.
This approach has won both praise and criticism from politicians in Ukraine. And it brought the popularity of Zelensky, who was seen as fighting bullying, insults and falsehoods about live, personal and immediate conflicts, for Ukrainians.
However, Zelensky's approach clearly did not work on Friday.
At the meeting, he showed Trump a photo of Ukrainian prisoners, but pointed out that he was abused in Russia and that the war was more than the potential benefits of natural resources.
The photos were not visible to media members. However, the Ukrainian prisoners have returned from Russian prisons as rail iron-like figures covered in bruises. It was a sharp start from what British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer presented to Trump a day ago. An elegant invitation from King Charles is to attend the royal banquet.
At the Minerals Agreement Conference in Kiev, Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andry Yelmack had asked the White House to sign the deal, according to those familiar with negotiations.
Zelensky saw the decision to hold the meeting and demonstrated that the timing was a diplomatic success, showing that Trump would first meet him, and that Russian President Vladimir V. Putin would meet in the second. Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration envoy to Ukraine for the ceasefire meeting, advised the White House meeting, but Ukrainian negotiators insisted, people said.
After Friday's diplomatic catastrophe, talk of mineral trade and ceasefire appears to be equally stunted.
During the White House exchange, the two leaders discussed key areas of conflict. Trump said enforcement of a ceasefire is just “2%” of the challenges to end the war. Zelensky claims Putin is unreliable and requires guarantees, calling it the cornerstone of Ukraine's future peace.
“I would never agree without a security guarantee,” he said.
Eve Sampson Reports of contributions.
