Shouts, recriminations and threats: the summit between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House immediately escalates into a heated clash.
"He is well dressed, he is elegant," the American president began, addressing the Ukrainian leader who was wearing a polo shirt and black pants, before accusing him of not having worn a jacket and tie. At the center of the conversation between the two leaders was the agreement on rare earths between the two countries , signed today. "We will sign a very fair agreement on Ukrainian minerals," Trump said. "I hope that this document, the agreement on rare earths with the United States, is a step forward," echoed the Ukrainian president.
The conversation then moved on to the war in Ukraine and the tone quickly became heated: Trump stated that "the truce agreement is reasonably close" . An agreement that no one yet knows what it includes and that the American president is pursuing directly with Russia, effectively excluding the EU and Ukraine from the negotiations. Zelensky, "convinced" that Trump is on his side, told him bluntly that "Putin is a killer" and that on this "he will not accept compromises". "Together we can stop him" , he urged him, before showing him photos of women and men killed by Moscow: "I didn't want to bring those of children", he said, asking him not to make the images public. "Even in war there are rules, they don't have any". Trump, for his part, replied that if he wants the end of the war, "he will have to compromise" with Russia .
Then the escalation, with Trump accusing the Ukrainian president of "putting himself in a bad position" and "not having the cards in hand" for a deal . "You have to be grateful," he then shouted, claiming that the Kiev leader cannot say to Washington "I want this, I want that" and that he is "playing with the Third World War." Then he threatened him: "Either you make a deal or we're out!" And again "without the weapons of the United States you would have lost the war in two weeks." Finally the insult: "He's not that smart."
