Social media has exploded with reactions following the dramatic confrontation between US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their Oval Office meeting on Friday, which ended with the cancellation of a planned minerals deal signing and the premature end of Zelenskyy’s White House visit.
What happened
The meeting, which had been scheduled to discuss a rare earth minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine, descended into a heated exchange after approximately 35 minutes when Zelenskyy challenged Vice President Vance on the issue of diplomacy with Russia.
According to White House transcripts and media reports, tensions escalated when Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” for attempting to “litigate” his case in front of American media. The vice president said Ukraine should be “thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
When Zelenskyy asked Vance if he had ever visited Ukraine, Vance responded that he had seen videos and accused the Ukrainian president of taking visitors on “propaganda tours.”
The exchange grew increasingly tense when Zelenskyy suggested that while the US doesn’t feel the effects of the war now because of “a nice ocean,” America “will feel it in the future.”
This comment appeared to infuriate Trump, who responded: “You don’t know that. You don’t know that. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem.”
Trump continued by telling Zelenskyy: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.”
At one point, Vance asked Zelenskyy: “Have you said thank you once, this entire meeting?” Zelenskyy maintained he had expressed gratitude “a lot of times, even today.”
The meeting abruptly ended without the planned signing of a minerals deal. Later, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace if America is involved” and “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office.”
Divided reactions
The confrontation has prompted intense and polarized reactions across social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
Tech billionaire Elon Musk weighed in with criticism of Ukraine’s leadership, posting: “The EU leaders and Zelensky having fancy dinners while men die in trenches. How many parents will never see their son again? How many children will never see their father?” alongside an image of a bloody chess board.
Musk also shared a cartoon depicting Zelenskyy shoveling dead bodies under a tram with the caption: “You can stop the tram at any moment, but you refuse because you need guarantees that it won’t start moving again in a few years.”
On the other side, numerous users expressed support for Zelenskyy and criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the meeting.
Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul challenged Trump’s assertions about his previous relationship with Putin, posting: “If there was no war in Ukraine while Trump was president, how in God’s name did Zelenskyy and Putin sign a ceasefire in 2019 while Trump was president?! Geez. Saying something false a million times does not make it true.”
Senator Chris Van Hollen wrote: “I met with President Zelenskyy before his meeting with Trump and Vance. As always, he expressed his gratitude for America’s support for the people of Ukraine. He has something Trump will never have or understand: courage and principle. Every American should be outraged.”
Some users attempted to provide context for the confrontation. One account, @thatsKAIZEN, posted a detailed timeline of the meeting, suggesting Zelenskyy had been “emotional,” “interrupted Trump,” and “called Putin names” before Trump’s rebuke. The post claimed Zelenskyy “wasn’t ready for peace” and even alleged that the Ukrainian president called Vance a derogatory term under his breath, though this claim could not be independently verified.
International fallout
The fallout from the meeting has already had international repercussions. Protests in support of Ukraine erupted across the United States on Saturday, with demonstrations in Vermont, New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles.
According to reports, European leaders, along with the prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, posted messages of support for Ukraine following the meeting. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wrote on Facebook that the Oval Office exchange was “a punch in the gut for Ukraine” and that “there is only one winner. And he sits in the Kremlin.”
Zelenskyy travelled to London after leaving Washington, where he met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Ukrainian president posted videos on social media showing crowds of supporters lining the streets outside Downing Street.
Disputed claims about gratitude
One point of contention during the meeting was Trump and Vance’s repeated assertions that Zelenskyy had not adequately expressed gratitude for US support.
According to reporting by Sky News, Zelenskyy has publicly thanked the United States numerous times, including on social media posts on January 21, 2022, July 1, 2022, August 19, 2022, November 20, 2023, March 2024, and January 10, 2025.
He also expressed thanks to Trump following his election victory in November last year. On December 7, Zelenskyy labelled the then-president-elect “resolute” and said: “I thank him.” On February 12, after what he described as a “meaningful conversation” with Trump, he wrote: “I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together.”
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