It was a meeting to kick off a day of joint engagements – but Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s sit-down saw White House schedules hastily redrawn.
The pair met in the Oval Office to discuss a minerals deal – which was supposed to be signed later on – and negotiations over ceasefire agreement with Russia.
It started politely enough but around 35 minutes in, the meeting took a quick and unexpected turn. Its demise was fuelled by comments from the man beside the US president: JD Vance.
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A long-time critic of American support for Ukraine, the vice president berated Mr Zelenskyy for airing disagreements in front of the media – and as he did so, he made a number of claims about topics including the Ukrainian military, official visits to Kyiv and Mr Zelenskyy’s political affiliations.
Here, we look at the VP’s comments and additional context surrounding them.
Ukraine is ‘forcing conscripts to the frontlines’
Tensions began to rise as Mr Vance called the Ukrainian president “disrespectful” – an accusation Mr Trump repeated as the exchange hit its most intense moments.
Mr Vance added: “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems.
“You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
His statement that Ukraine is relying on conscription is correct. With some exceptions – such as health issues – Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country and anyone who reaches the age of 25 is conscripted unless they have already volunteered or are exempt.
The Ukrainians trying to dodge army draft
Conscription is not unusual for armies locked in warfare. It was used by multiple countries during World War One and World War Two, and during the Vietnam War, the US government drafted men to fight via lotteries.
Russia is not using conscription to specifically recruit troops for the Ukraine war. But, with a few exceptions, all Russian men aged between 18 and 30 must complete a year of military service – and some of them have been sent to areas such as the Kursk region during the conflict.
‘Propaganda tour’
In response to the conscription comment, Mr Zelenskyy asked the VP: “Have you ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?”
The answer, as Mr Zelenskyy knew, was no.
Ignoring the suggestion that he should visit, Mr Vance countered: “I’ve actually watched and seen the stories, and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr President.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, dozens of world leaders have visited the country. Among them are Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer, along with then British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv in February 2023. Pic: Reuters
The world’s media – including Sky News correspondents – have also reported from the frontlines.
It’s unclear why Mr Vance considers these trips “propaganda tours” but it’s a term our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett has encountered frequently: he says it’s a phrase “one hears on Russian state media on an almost daily basis”.
‘Zelenskyy hasn’t said thank you’
Another sticking point for Mr Vance was whether Mr Zelenskyy was thankful enough for the US’s help.
“Have you said ‘thank you’ once this entire meeting?” he asked. “Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”
Mr Zelenskyy insisted he had done so “a lot of times, even today” and a glance back at just the past two years proves this to be true.
On X, he thanked the US and then president Mr Biden on 21 January 2022, 1 July, 2022, 19 August 2022, 20 November the following year, in March 2024 and as recently as 10 January.
He also shared thanks in person when he met Mr Biden in the Oval Office on 21 December 2022, and in speeches in Washington DC on 11 December 2023 and 10 July 2024.
All the times Zelenskyy thanked the US
Mr Zelenskyy has thanked Mr Trump since his election win in November last year. On 7 December, he labelled the then president-elect “resolute” and said: “I thank him.”
On 12 February, after a “meaningful conversation” with Mr Trump, he wrote: “I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together.”
This is a non-exhaustive list.
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Zelenskyy ‘campaigned’ for the Democrats
Amid the row over a perceived lack of gratefulness, Mr Vance told Mr Zelenskyy: “You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October.”
The Ukrainian president’s reply was simply “no”.
Mr Zelenskyy did visit Pennsylvania alongside the state’s governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, in September last year, but he wasn’t on the campaign trail.
Under tight security Mr Zelenskyy visited an ammunition factory to thank workers for producing vital munitions for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Mr Zelenskyy at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania in September. Pic: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters
He wrote on X afterwards: “It is in places like this where you can truly feel that the democratic world can prevail.
“Thanks to people like these – in Ukraine, in America, and in all partner countries – who work tirelessly to ensure that life is protected.”
On the same trip, he met with Mr Trump in New York.
