Chicago – February 28, 2025
Discussions about a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia stopped suddenly after a tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. The meeting ended with a cancelled press conference, a minerals deal being taken off the table, and Trump asking Zelenskyy to leave, a White House official confirmed.
Trump accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the U.S. and said the Ukrainian leader wasn’t ready to make peace. Things became even more heated when Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had broken past agreements. In response, Trump and Vice President JD Vance said Zelenskyy wasn’t showing enough appreciation for the U.S. support and was in a weak position in the peace talks.
Zelenskyy also stressed how important Europe’s help has been in the conflict with Russia, but Trump interrupted, saying the U.S. contributions were more significant. Zelenskyy disagreed and said that wasn’t true.
After leaving the White House, Zelenskyy posted a message on social media thanking the U.S. for its support. Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have been rising, especially after U.S. officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on February 18 without involving Ukraine. Zelenskyy later told reporters, “Nobody decides anything behind our back.”
