Where things went wrong: Vance reflects on WH meeting with Zelensky
2 Min Read
After the notorious argument at the White House, JD Vance says his responses "set Zelensky off", turning a civil meeting into a heated televised exchange.
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US Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, as President Donald Trump, center, listens in the Oval Office at the White House, on Friday, February 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
US Vice President J.D. Vance justified the White House fiasco with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by blaming the latter, saying he "was set off" following Vance's response to a reporter's question.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump, Vance, and Zelensky engaged in a heated exchange that ended with the fallout of their joint minerals deal and the expulsion of the Ukrainian delegation from the White House.
During the meeting, Vance stressed the importance of diplomacy to end the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Zelensky, in response, claimed Russia was violating peace accords and bilateral agreements, and asked "What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?"
"I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country," Vance said, further scolding the Ukrainian leader, saying, "I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media…You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict."
Where things broke apart
Reflecting on the flare up in an interview with Hannity, Vance said he perceived "a lack of respect" and "entitlement" from the Ukrainian side during the meeting.
While Vance claimed he tried to foster calmness and take the meeting into a private room away from the media, Trump insisted on being fully transparent, heating the argument on camera.
The vice president conveyed Trump's end goal--ending the conflict--which can be accelerated when Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin negotiate. "And that's ultimately where things broke apart," he clarified.
According to Vance, Zelensky was unwilling to engage in the peace process and efforts Trump had outlined, stressing that the war in Ukraine cannot go on indefinitely, given the limited resources both Ukraine and the United States possess.
"There aren't enough Ukrainian lives, there isn't enough American money, and there isn't enough ammunition to fund this thing indefinitely. The only realistic pathway to bring this thing to a settlement is President Trump's pathway," he said, calling on Zelensky and Putin to follow in Trump's process.
