The heated dispute between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States ended with Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving the White House prematurely, but with support from European leaders on social media. The world media is calling this meeting an open conflict, a provocation and a disaster. Forbes gathered analysts from The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Economist, WSJ, Reuters, FT and Times who wrote about the negotiations in the Oval Office.
A gift for true leaders
Forbes Certificate — annual access to quality analytics, insights, and thought-provoking success stories. Details and order
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's conversation at the White House on February 28 turned into an open conflict after the US president accused Zelenskyy of “playing with World War III.” After Trump cut short Zelenskyy's visit to the White House, the leaders did not sign a planned agreement on mineral rights and canceled a joint press conference. “You should be more grateful,” Trump told Zelenskyy, adding that Ukraine would not have been able to stand up to Russia without US support, CNN reports.
The American leader said that the Ukrainian president is not ready for peace. “He has shown disrespect to the United States in their sacred Oval Office,” Trump wrote on social media. “He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
Popular Category Money Date Today Investments in a period of high prices. Inflation “ate up” the yield of government bonds, taxes hit deposits. Is there an alternative? Analysis and calculations Forbes Ukraine
After the meeting, the Ukrainian delegation was moved to another room, and Trump's advisers ordered them to leave the White House, The Washington Post reports.
Zelensky tried to get clearer security guarantees from the US, but Trump sharply replied: “You have no cards in your hands… You are playing with the lives of millions of people. You are playing with World War III.” After that, the American leader issued an ultimatum: either Zelensky agrees to talks with Russia, or the US will stop supporting Ukraine, writes the FT.
The Wall Street Journal adds that the meeting began with formal greetings but quickly escalated into open conflict. Trump sharply criticized Zelensky for his attitude towards Putin, accusing him of “hating” the Russian leader.
Later, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Fox News that Ukraine seeks peace, but not at the cost of losing its territories, sovereignty or freedom, writes The Wall Street Journal. He emphasized that Russia does not adhere to any agreements, so any ceasefire without real security guarantees will only give Putin time to regroup troops.
Asked whether he should apologize to Trump, Zelensky said: “I'm not sure we did anything wrong,” The New York Times quotes him as saying. He also stressed that, despite the difficult situation, he hopes to maintain relations with the United States and convince the American administration of the need to support Ukraine.
Donald Trump criticized Zelensky for his “hatred” of Putin and repeated that Ukraine is not ready for peace if America is involved. Photo: Getty Images
Strategic implications
The conflict in the White House has become not just another episode in relations between Kyiv and Washington, but part of a larger geopolitical shift, writes The New York Times. Trump shows a willingness to reconsider the principles of American foreign policy, putting agreements between great powers at the forefront instead of traditional alliances.
Sources in Europe believe that Trump's goal is to normalize relations with Russia, even if it means rewriting the history of the war and abandoning long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly stated in an interview with Breitbart News that America should move towards trilateral diplomacy with Russia and China, hinting at a reduction in support for Ukraine. This confirms the White House's new concept of balancing between great powers instead of supporting traditional democratic allies.
Political effect: stopping aid and new risks
As a result of the conflict, the US State Department is considering suspending funding for USAID projects to restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure, NBC News reports.
Trump reiterated his position on the social network Truth Social: “I want peace, not negotiating leverage. Zelensky can come back when he is ready for peace.” He also hinted to reporters that the Ukrainian president had already asked for a new meeting, but his request was rejected, The Times writes.
The FT reports that after the meeting broke down, the White House refused to hold any additional negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham even suggested that Zelensky resign if he was not ready to cooperate with the Trump administration.
Ukraine and Europe's reaction: support for Zelensky
The conflict has sparked a strong reaction in Europe. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelensky of “unwavering support for Ukraine.” French President Emmanuel Macron stressed: “Russia is the aggressor in this war, and we were not wrong to support Ukraine,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “Ukrainians will never be left alone.” Estonian Foreign Minister Kaia Kallas was even more blunt: “Today it has become clear that the free world needs a new leader. Europe will have to take this responsibility on itself.”
At the same time, an emergency summit is being prepared in London with the participation of 16 European leaders, which will now focus on the consequences of the conflict between Zelensky and Trump, The Times writes.
Of all the European leaders, Estonian Foreign Minister Kai Dallas spoke the harshest about the Trump-Zelensky meeting. Photo: Getty Images
Consequences for Zelensky and Ukraine
The White House meeting led to an open crisis in relations between the United States and Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Trump and his allies said they saw no chance of reaching an agreement with Zelensky to end the war. “If he wants to fight, it will be bad, because without us he will not win,” Trump said.
Washington is also discussing the possibility of auditing military aid to Ukraine, which could further complicate the situation. This could jeopardize the combat capability of the Ukrainian army, since, according to The New York Times, Ukraine is critically dependent on American Patriot air defense systems, which are the only ones capable of intercepting Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
At the same time, Trump refused to support Europe's peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, stating that the United States would not participate in ensuring its security.
The failure of the meeting and the lack of clear guarantees of support from the United States could lead to domestic political instability in Ukraine. Some members of the Verkhovna Rada are already discussing the possibility of a change of leadership or holding elections, despite the war, writes The Economist.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already held talks with Zelensky and Trump in an attempt to minimize the impact of the crisis, Bloomberg notes. However, now the Europeans will have to decide whether they can support Ukraine on their own without US involvement.
