ON COMPROMISES AND A DEAL ON SUBSOIL
Trump: The United States needs this agreement because they have a lot of oil and gas but not much land to develop it all, and the land is protected by environmentalists. That is why a subsoil agreement with Ukraine is very important… It will be “very honest”, and the essence of the agreement is that the Ukrainian side will not return to hostilities. At the same time, Ukraine will have to make compromises, because without them, “it is impossible to conclude any agreement”. These compromises will not be large-scale.
Zelenskyy: There will be no compromises with a murderer regarding our territory. Vladimir Putin is a “murderer and terrorist”.
Trump: Your people are very brave. But either you make a deal, or we wash our hands of you. And if we wash our hands of you, you will fight on your own… I don’t think it will be pleasant, but you will fight. But you have no cards. As soon as we sign this agreement, you will be in a much better position, but you are completely ungrateful, and that is not good of you.
ON SECURITY GUARANTEES
Trump: Everybody talks about security, but let me make a deal first.
ON WHOSE SIDE THE US IS ON
Trump: Putin is serious about an agreement to end the war.
The American president added that he is “for both Ukraine and Russia” and wants the war to be resolved. And if “we cannot solve it, they will have to fight to the end”.
Zelenskyy: The US will not stop supporting Ukraine. The United States has been helping our country since the beginning of the Russian invasion. The US President will not stop the assistance because “it is very important”.
Zelenskyy also expressed hope that Trump and his allies would stop Putin, withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, and bring peace.
ON DIPLOMACY, PEACE, AND THE THIRD WORLD WAR
Vice President Vance: Ukraine has a problem with the number of troops. The US is trying to resolve the war through diplomacy and negotiations.
Vance also accused the Ukrainian president of attacking the US administration and claiming they were “destroying Ukraine” during the war.
Zelenskyy: Putin has violated previous agreements with other states, so what kind of diplomacy can we talk about now?
Trump: “You have no cards in your hands now.”
Trump accused Zelenskyy of “playing cards with World War III”. He also commented on the war, saying, “You have very little chance.”
Trump: If the United States had not given weapons, the war would have ended in two weeks.
Zelenskyy: I heard something similar from Putin - only he said three days.
Trump: Ukraine must stop fighting because it does not have the resources to continue without US support. Russia didn’t respect Obama and Biden, but it respects me. “I don’t think you [to Zelenskyy] would be a tough guy without the United States.”
REACTIONS IN EUROPE AND THE US
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, expressed outrage over President Donald Trump’s aggressive meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance are “doing Putin’s dirty work”, Senator Schumer said. Jeanne Shaheen called Trump and Vance’s behaviour “shameful and downright un-American”.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded to the dispute between Trump and Zelenskyy by writing: “Dear Vladimir Zelenskyy, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also reacted to the White House scandal: “Ukraine, Spain is with you.”
The presidents of Lithuania and Moldova, Gitanas Nausėda and Maia Sandu, also expressed their support for Ukraine.
The European politicians who spoke in support of Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy were joined by the deputy leader of the CDU and the next German Chancellor, Johannes Wadefull.
“The scenes from the White House are shocking. How can you stab the president of an occupied country in the back like that? A free Europe will not betray Ukraine,” Wadefull said.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa issued a joint statement in support of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The heads of France, Germany, and other European leaders also expressed their support.
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sided with Trump. But nothing else was expected from Orbán.