‘You’re gambling with World War III’: In Oval Office clash, Trump and Zelenskyy spar over US support in Ukraine war

In a rare, tense Oval Office encounter on Friday, (28 Feb ’25) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to shore up support from President Donald Trump as the war in Ukraine rages on, but he was met with vocal anger and resistance.

The meeting, which shifted between moments of politeness and heated exchanges, exposed the widening rift between the two leaders and underscored the complexity of navigating international relations amid a prolonged conflict.

Trump, who has repeatedly pushed for an end to the war and questioned US involvement, made it clear that he wanted a quick resolution, even as Zelenskyy warned that an abrupt ceasefire could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin to rearm and reignite the conflict. In the Oval Office, Trump’s frustration boiled over as he pressed Zelenskyy to accept the inevitability of a peace deal — on terms that Kyiv fears would be too lenient toward Moscow. “We will never accept just a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy told Trump during the meeting, making his position clear. He argued that without robust security guarantees, any temporary cessation of hostilities would allow Russia to regroup and launch further offensives. His message was urgent: the conflict may be costly, but peace without security could be even more dangerous.

Yet, as the two leaders debated the path forward, it was clear that Zelenskyy was struggling to win over Trump, who has become increasingly critical of the war effort. Trump, who has long prided himself on his ability to strike deals, approached the meeting with a different perspective. He has argued for months that the United States’s involvement in the Ukraine war has become too costly, both in terms of financial resources and human lives. His administration has expressed frustration with the continued flow of US military aid to Ukraine, insisting that the time has come to bring the war to a close. “You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Trump told Zelenskyy at one point during the meeting. “You don’t have the cards right now...For Trump, the conflict represented an unacceptable drain on US resources — a point he repeatedly emphasized during the tense exchange.

 “You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump told Zelenskyy, pointing to the escalating death toll in the conflict. He questioned why the Ukrainian president was not more open to a ceasefire, which Trump believed could prevent further bloodshed...Zelenskyy, who had carefully prepared for the meeting, reiterated his gratitude for US support, but emphasized that Ukraine’s survival required more than just short-term aid — it needed long-term security guarantees. To underscore the stakes, Zelenskyy presented Trump with folders filled with pictures of civilians affected by the war...“I hope I’ll be known and recognized as a peacemaker,” Trump said during the meeting, noting that he hoped to open up channels of communication with Moscow to broker a deal. Despite his combative tone with Zelenskyy, Trump maintained that he was committed to ending the war through diplomatic means. He also reaffirmed that the United States would continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, though he added that he was eager to “get it done quickly” so that resources could be redirected toward rebuilding rather than continued fighting...“I hope that together we can stop [Putin],” Zelenskyy said, urging Trump to maintain a strong position against Russia’s aggression. “But for us, it is very important to save our country, our values, our freedom, democracy...But the underlying tension between the two leaders was impossible to ignore. As Trump continues to push for a peace deal — one that many fear could favour Russia — the future of US involvement in Ukraine’s war remains uncertain..

With diplomatic tensions running high and the war showing no signs of abating, the Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy underscored just how difficult it will be to find a path forward that satisfies both Washington and Kyiv.