A hot mic recorded the final moments of a tense exchange between former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a White House meeting.
Despite the meeting’s intended focus on peace talks to end the Ukraine-Russia war, tensions escalated between Trump and Zelenskyy in front of the press. The Ukrainian leader visited the White House on February 28 to discuss the conflict with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Reports indicate that the discussion turned heated, leading Trump to ask Zelenskyy to leave following their public disagreement. Vance asserted that Zelenskyy should show more gratitude for U.S. support, stating, “You should be thanking President Trump and the United States for our contributions to your war effort.”
Zelenskyy countered, questioning, “Have you ever been to Ukraine? Seen what problems we have? Come once.” He added that during war, “everyone has problems,” and just because the U.S. does not “feel it now” does not mean it will not in “the future.”
Trump interrupted, arguing that he was “trying to solve a problem” and that Zelenskyy was in “no position” to dictate what Americans “are going to feel.”
A hot mic reportedly captured Trump’s private instructions to his staff before Zelenskyy was escorted out. Speaking to an aide as the press exited, Trump was heard saying, “You’re right, maybe we should [inaudible]. Let’s have a little something… Would you bring them to the Roosevelt Room?”
Sources indicate that the Ukrainian delegation was taken to the Roosevelt Room, where they were informed of Trump’s decision for them to leave.
The fallout from the contentious meeting has had immediate consequences. Trump has paused all military aid to Ukraine, with a White House official stating, “The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
Zelenskyy has since reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing peace. In a statement, he declared, “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 President Trump’s strong leadership to achieve a lasting peace.”
