US. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a heated debate in the Oval Office on Friday during a meeting that was supposed to highlight a new agreement granting Washington access to mineral rights in Ukraine. Meduza transcribed the most intense moments of the confrontation:
Vice President Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.
President Zelensky: Yes, but if you are not strong…
Vice President Vance: Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to this conflict.
President Zelensky: Have you ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?
Vice President Vance: I have been to…
President Zelensky: Come once.
Vice President Vance: I have actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people into your military?
President Zelensky: We have problems.
Vice President Vance: And do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?
President Zelensky: A lot of questions. Let’s start from the beginning.
Vice President Vance: Sure.
President Zelensky: First of all, during the war, everybody has problems. Even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now. But you will feel it in the future. God bless…
President Trump: You don’t know that.
President Zelensky: God bless… God bless… You will not have the war.
President Trump: You don’t know that. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.
President Zelensky: I’m not telling you.
President Trump: Because you’re in no position to dictate that. Remember this.
President Zelensky: I’m not dictating.
President Trump: You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel. We’re going to feel very good.
President Zelensky: You will feel influence. I’m telling you.
President Trump: We’re going to feel very good and very strong.
President Zelensky: You will feel influence.
President Trump: You’re going to feel very good.
President Zelensky: You’re going to feel influence.
President Trump: You’re, right now, not in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.
President Zelensky: From the very beginning of the war.
President Trump: And [Vice President Vance] happens to be right about it.
President Zelensky: From the very beginning of the war, Mr. President, I was—
President Trump: You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
President Zelensky: I’m not playing cards.
President Trump: Right now, you don’t — yeah, you’re playing cards.
President Zelensky: I’m very serious, Mr. President.
President Trump: You’re playing cards.
President Zelensky: I’m very serious.
President Trump: You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.
President Zelensky: What do you think about…?
President Trump: You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III! And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country. It’s back to you.
President Zelensky: I’m with all respect to your party.
President Trump: Far more than a lot of people said they should have.
Vice President Vance: Have you said thank you once?
President Zelensky: A lot of times.
Vice President Vance: No.
President Zelensky: Even today. Even today.
Vice President Vance: You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the [Democratic Party] opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the President who’s trying to save your country!
President Zelensky: Please, do you think that if you will speak very loudly about the war in—
President Trump: He’s not speaking loudly. He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble.
President Zelensky: Can I answer?
President Trump: No, no. You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You’re not winning.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You’re not winning this.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us!
President Zelensky: We are staying, Mr. President, we are staying in our country, staying strong. From the very beginning of the war, we’ve been alone. And we are thankful. I said thanks in this Cabinet.
President Trump: You haven’t been alone. You haven’t been alone.
President Zelensky: And not only in this Cabinet.
President Trump: We gave you — through this stupid President — $350 billion.
President Zelensky: You voted for your President.
President Trump: We gave you military equipment.
President Zelensky: You voted for your President.
President Trump: And you men are brave, but they had to use our military equipment.
President Zelensky: What about your President?
President Trump: If you didn’t have our military equipment…
President Zelensky: You invited me to speak. You invited me to speak.
President Trump: If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks. Okay?
President Zelensky: In three days. I heard it from Putin. In three days. This is something you—
President Trump: Maybe less.
President Zelensky: In two weeks. Of course, yes.
President Trump: It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this, I tell you.
Vice President Vance: Again, if you just say “thank you”…
President Zelensky: I said a lot of times to [the] American people!
Vice President Vance: Except that there are disagreements. And let’s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when you’re wrong. We know you’re wrong.
President Trump: But, you see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. That’s why I kept this story so long. You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards.
President Zelensky: I’m thankful.
President Trump: You’re buried there! You’re … people are dying.
President Zelensky: I can tell you. I know. Don’t, don’t, please, Mr. President…
President Trump: You’re running low on soldiers. Listen, you’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing if… and then you tell us [in a mocking voice], “I don’t want a ceasefire. I don’t want a ceasefire. I want to go, and I want this.” Look, if you could get a ceasefire right now, I’d tell you: You take it so the bullets stop flying, and you’re men stop getting killed.
President Zelensky: Of course, we want to stop the war.
President Trump: But you’re saying you don’t want a ceasefire? I want a ceasefire. Because you’ll get a ceasefire faster than an agreement.
President Zelensky: What I said to you was with guarantees.
President Zelensky: Ask our people about a ceasefire, [ask] what they think. It doesn’t matter for you what—
President Trump: That wasn’t with me. That was a guy named Biden who was not a smart person. That was with Obama.
President Zelensky: It was your President…
President Trump: Excuse me. That was with Obama, who gave you sheets, and I gave you javelins. I gave you the javelins to take out all those tanks. Obama gave you sheets. In fact, the statement is, “Obama gave sheets, and Trump gave javelins.” You gotta be more thankful because, let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. But without us, you don’t have any cards.
