New details continue to emerge regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s disastrous meeting with President Donald Trump last Friday.
As Slay News reported, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance blasted Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader started complaining about the peace deal in front of the media.
Trump and Vance slammed Zelensky as ungrateful and “disrespectful” before shutting the meeting down.
The meeting was initially set to strengthen U.S.-Ukraine relations.
However, it ended with Zelensky being asked to leave the White House after negotiations broke down.
The Left has responded by claiming that the meeting was an “ambush.”
Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz pushed back against claims while addressing the situation in an interview with Fox News host Charles Hurt.
“And let me just talk to something very quickly, that this was some kind of ambush,” Waltz said.
“That is absolutely and categorically false.
“We had a beautiful setting in the East Room, ready for both leaders to sign, that would have bound the United States and Ukraine together economically for a generation, for critical minerals that we need, economic investment that they need, and that would have been on the heels, Charlie, of having the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who says he’s ready to put boots on the ground, the President of France, Macron, who is ready to put boots on the ground, NATO Secretary General that [sic] the president had just spoke to about broader security guarantees.”
Waltz’s remarks suggest that, alongside economic discussions, there were broader security agreements under consideration.
His reference to the United Kingdom and France potentially deploying troops to Ukraine raises questions about whether European leaders are preparing for direct involvement in the conflict.
In February, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated he was open to providing Ukraine with a security guarantee that could involve military personnel.
France has reportedly held similar discussions with Ukraine.
If these plans move forward, it would mark a significant shift in the war, potentially bringing NATO-aligned forces into direct confrontation with Russia.
According to Waltz, the meeting had the potential to be a pivotal moment for Ukraine.
“So this really could have been and should have been a positive moment for Ukraine,” Waltz continued.
“And then we go to further negotiating with the Russians, bring this war to an end, and move the world forward, stop the death and destruction.”
However, Waltz claimed that Zelensky instead chose to escalate tensions.
“But instead, what became clear, and I think what has the president so, uh, so frustrated, and frankly angry, is that it’s not clear that Zelensky truly wants to stop the fighting,” Waltz said.
“And he came in, even though he was warned not to, determined to litigate all that in front of the entire world.
“And the vice president said enough is enough, the president said enough is enough, and I gotta tell you, this was the wrong approach, wrong time in history, and definitely, the wrong president to try to do this kind of thing.
“This was not Joe Biden, this was Donald J. Trump.
“I think the entire world saw that, crystal clear.”
WATCH:
“It’s not clear that Zelenskyy truly wants to stop the fighting. He came in, even though he was warned not to, determined to litigate all of that,” says @MikeWaltz47.
“This was the wrong approach, wrong time in history, and definitely the wrong president to try to do this.” pic.twitter.com/xHz8T4x153
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 1, 2025
The fallout from the meeting was swift.
The White House confirmed that Zelensky left without signing the economic agreement that had been prepared.
Trump later stated that Zelensky was “not ready for Peace if America is involved” and that he would not be invited back until he was prepared to negotiate an end to the war.
Zelensky later posted on X, stating that he was now “ready to sign the minerals agreement.”
We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2025
However, it remains unclear whether Trump will entertain further negotiations, given how the previous meeting ended.
As Ukraine continues to struggle with manpower shortages and Western aid uncertainty, Zelensky’s handling of the White House talks could have long-term consequences for his country’s war effort.
READ MORE – Susan Rice Melts Down Over Trump Dropping the Hammer on Zelensky
