JD Vance Tells Zelensky He’s Being ‘Disrespectful’ in Oval Office to President Trump

 

"U.S. Vice President JD Vance put down President Volodymyr Zelensky after he dismissed the effectiveness of American diplomacy, forcefully telling the Ukrainian he was acting without respect.

 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Friday for talks with President Donald Trump and, it is thought, to sign the much-discussed minerals deal. As is customary, Trump and his senior colleagues sat down with Zelensky in the oval office with press cameras present for a brief discussion before the real talks would begin in private, but a beligerent attitude from Zelensky derailed proceedings before they even began.

 

Responding to talk about the importance of diplomacy, President Zelensky appeared to dismiss the utility of American influence altogether, saying under President Obama, the Trump first term, and Biden the U.S. had achieved nothing through talk. This caustic statement, finishing with a rhetorical “What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about? What do you mean?” led Vice President Vance to retort, with evident distaste: “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going end the destruction of your country.”

 

Zelensky attempted to interrupt, arms crossed in clearly defensive body language, but Vance continued:

 

    Mr President with respect I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media, 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.

 

Countering this by tacitly accusing Vice President Vance of ignorance of the reality of the war, Zelensky replied: “have you ever been to Ukraine, did you see what problems we have? Come once”. When Vance stated in turn that he had not been to Ukraine but had knowledge of the matter nevertheless, Zelensky was seen to shake his head and look away.”