Public quarrel between Zelensky and Trump, rare earths deal blows up

Brussels – Volodymyr Zelensky does not trust Donald Trum’s predictions that ceding Ukrainian rare earths to the U.S. would stop Russia’s war in his country. The U.S. president (and his staff) take offense, strong words fly, and the deal is off. The all on live TV from the Oval Office of the White House, in a crescendo of tones that perhaps had never been seen (at least on live TV).

The situation was tense from the start, with Trump mocking Zelensky already upon his arrival for the way he is dressed (the Ukrainian president as usual does not have a suit, which, he explained a thousand times, he will put on when the invasion is over) “you look smart today,” he told him. Then the scene shifts to the Oval Office, where tones rise rapidly, in good part also because of the intervention of Vice President JD Vance, who accuses Zelensky of “never saying thank you” to the US. The confrontation is also over European aid, which Trump brands as much lower than U.S. aid, while the Ukrainian president attempted to correct him by claiming that what Trump said was not true.

Essentially Trump claimed that once the rare earths agreement is signed, with workers sent from the U.S. “digging, digging, digging,” Russia would stop the war. Zelensky doesn’t believe it, saying that since 2024 “Vladimir Putin has violated his commitments 26 times,” and that the only way to stop it is to strengthen Ukrainian defense, especially the air force, “we need it so much.”

Then in the face of a Trump standing up as an “impartial” arbiter between Moscow and Kiev to achieve peace the Ukrainian president reiterated that at the negotiating table there must be “Ukraine, Russia and the European Union, and also the United States”, but without any confirmation of this.

Trump attacks again, claiming that Zelensky is “disrespectful” to him and to the U.S., is that “you are playing with the lives of millions of people, you are risking World War III,” and that he is therefore “playing his cards wrong.” “I’m not here to play cards,” retorted the Ukrainian.

The discount continued for some 20 minutes, at the end of which Zelensky left the White House without the meeting to sign the agreement taking place, and without a final press conference. According to the Fox television network (very close to Trump), the U.S. president himself invited the Ukrainian to leave.

Immediately afterwards Trump released un post su X in which he stated: “Today we had a very significant meeting at the White House. Many things were learned that could never have been understood without a conversation under such fire and such pressure. It is amazing what emerges through the emotions, and I determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels that our involvement gives him a great advantage in the negotiations. I don’t want advantages, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in their beloved Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace.”

Followed by European the first reaction from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, rotating president of the European Council: “Dear Ukrainian friend, you are not alone.”

The head of the Pd delegation to the European Parliament, Nicola Zingaretti, also con un tweet states that: “The president of the U.S. has forgotten that he is the president of a great democracy and is acting as a master by offending those who have been attacked. Now Europe unites even more in defense of freedom, peace and justice.”