Zelensky didn’t back down during the argument. He told Trump and Vance that Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, can’t be trusted to stop fighting, even if a deal is made. He said Putin has broken promises before and would attack Ukraine again. This made Trump and Vance angrier, and they told Zelensky he didn’t have the power to demand more from the U.S. After the fight, Zelensky and his team were asked to leave the White House, and the mineral deal wasn’t signed.
Later, Zelensky talked to Fox News about what happened. He said he didn’t think he did anything wrong and wouldn’t say sorry to Trump. “I’m not sure we did something bad,” he said. But he admitted it would’ve been better if the talk happened privately, not in front of cameras. He hopes the U.S. and Ukraine can fix their relationship because Ukraine needs America’s help against Russia’s bigger army. “It’s about more than just two presidents,” he added.
The argument shocked many people watching around the world. Some Ukrainian leaders, like the country’s top military commander, supported Zelensky, saying he stood up for Ukraine. But others in Ukraine worried this fight could hurt their chances of getting more U.S. support. In Russia, people laughed at the situation, with one official calling Zelensky rude names and saying he got what he deserved.
Zelensky also used social media to thank leaders from other countries, like France and Germany, who stood by him after the clash. He didn’t thank Trump, though, which some saw as a quiet jab at the U.S. president. For now, Zelensky is trying to keep Ukraine’s fight alive while dealing with this messy fallout with America’s leaders.