☰
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's White House meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump reportedly turned tense after showing graphic war images, leading to a diplomatic fallout.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's highly anticipated meeting with former US President Donald Trump at the White House in February took an unexpected turn, leading to a diplomatic misstep that left both sides unsettled.
Zelenskyy had planned to present Trump with a symbolic goodwill gift—the championship belt of current world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk. However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when the Ukrainian leader opted instead to show Trump graphic images of Ukrainian prisoners of war who had been recently released.
According to anonymous US officials cited by Time Magazine, the distressing visuals left Trump with the impression that Zelenskyy was indirectly blaming him for the brutal treatment of Ukrainian soldiers. Trump, taken aback by the images, reacted by saying, "That's tough stuff."
WATCH IN FULL: All 46 minutes of the Oval Office meeting between President Donald J. Trump and President Zelenskyy pic.twitter.com/L88QejnhRA
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47)Zelenskyy, in an interview with Time Magazine, clarified that he had no intention of holding the US accountable but rather sought to establish a human connection with Trump by showing the harsh realities of the war. Despite the meeting going awry, the Ukrainian president said he did not regret his decision to display the images.
🇺🇦🇺🇸 Time: The photos of the prisoners of war alarmed Trump, as if he was being blamed for the suffering of those soldiers.
However, even today, Zelensky does not regret his decision to present these photos. He tried to go beyond Trump's transactional instincts, beyond his need… pic.twitter.com/VfkF6UHeqE
Following the tense exchange in the Oval Office, Trump abruptly left the room, reportedly remarking, "This is going to be great television." The championship belt, which had remained untouched on a table next to Zelenskyy, was later removed by a White House staffer and placed in Trump’s dining room, where gifts from world leaders are displayed.
In the wake of the encounter, Trump cancelled a scheduled signing ceremony and called off a planned joint press conference with Zelenskyy. Additionally, a request from the Ukrainian delegation for a one-on-one meeting was rejected. Soon after, Zelenskyy and his team were asked to exit the White House, marking an abrupt end to what was expected to be a key diplomatic engagement.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.