Politicians across the world have started to react to the feisty exchange between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump cut short talks with his Ukrainian counterpart after he and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
When taking questions from reporters, Trump told Zelenskyy that he either “makes a deal” or the US is out, and accused him of “gambling with World War Three”.
Vance also questioned whether Zelenskyy had said thank you during the meeting, to which Zelenskyy responded by saying he had said “thank you a lot of times”.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said Zelenskyy “was not ready for peace if America is involved” and that he had “disrespected” the US.
Zelenskyy also posted on social media after the exchange, but thanked Trump for the visit, writing on X: “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that”.
A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said it was a “miracle of restraint” that Trump and Vance “restrained themselves and didn’t hit” Zelenskyy.
Reactions across Europe
Across Europe, several leaders have posted on social media offering their support to Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron said “we all were right to have helped Ukraine and sanctioned Russia three years ago, and to continue to do so.”
“There’s an aggressor, which is Russia, and a people attacked, which is Ukraine,” Macron told reporters as he was on a state visit to Portugal.
He added: “We must thank all those who helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to stand by Ukraine following the contentious Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in the Oval Office.
“Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Tusk wrote on X late on Friday.
President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, praised Zelenskyy’s “dignity”, adding that Ukraine is “never alone” in a post on X.
Germany’s new leader Friedrich Merz said they “stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
Officials from Spain, Latvia, Lithuania also offered their support to Ukraine.
Reactions from the United States
Republican Senator Mike Lee thanked Trump for “standing up for OUR COUNTRY and putting America first” in a post on X.
Senator Lindsey Graham said Zelenskyy “needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change”.
Meanwhile Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said “shame on you” in response to how Vance had spoken to Zelenskyy.
“Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly.”
“And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe.”
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