Russia made a strange claim about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after President Donald Trump accused him of “gambling with World War 3”.
The Kremlin has weighed in on the fiery exchange between the two presidents, which took place at the Oval Office on Friday (February 28).
What was supposed to be a high-level discussion about the war in Ukraine quickly spiraled into a heated confrontation that stunned observers around the world.
The moment began when Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy, 47, of being disrespectful toward the US, and insisted that he should be “thanking” America for its efforts to resolve the war.
“I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media,” he bluntly stated.
Zelenskyy fired back by asking if Vance had even visited Ukraine during the war before remarking that the US “will feel it in the future” with regards to the impact of war.
The response seemed to rattle Trump, who raised his voice at Zelenskyy and criticized his handling of the war.
“Don’t tell us what we’re gonna feel… We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re gonna feel,” he said. “You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers.
“I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States,” the 78-year-old said, adding that the Ukrainian leader was “gambling with millions of lives” and “World War III”.
According to reports, the situation escalated to the point where Zelenskyy was reportedly asked to leave the White House early – before the two leaders could hold a joint news conference.
Following the explosive meeting, Russia’s government wasted no time in responding.
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the tense exchange was further proof that Ukraine had no real interest in ending the war.
“What happened at the White House on Friday, of course, demonstrated how difficult it will be to reach a settlement trajectory around Ukraine,” Peskov said, cited by The New York Post.
“The Kyiv regime and Zelensky do not want peace. They want the war to continue,” he continued. “It is very important that someone forces Zelensky himself to change his position.”
Peskov went further, suggesting that world leaders should intervene to push Ukraine toward negotiations. “Someone has to make Zelensky want peace. If the Europeans can do it, they should be honored and praised,” he added.
As tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump made headlines, European allies reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s defense.
On Sunday (March 2), leaders from 18 countries gathered in the UK for a summit aimed at strengthening military support for Ukraine. The coalition vowed to continue supplying weapons while ramping up economic pressure on Russia.
Zelenskyy, who flew straight to the UK after the White House fiasco, stood firm in his stance against conceding Ukrainian territory to Russia.
Speaking at the summit, he said: “We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security,” per BBC News.
Despite the backlash from Trump and the Kremlin, Zelenskyy refused to apologize and said the confrontation did not bring anything positive toward achieving peace.
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