Trump accuses Zelenskyy of 'gambling with World War Three' as Starmer backs Ukraine following White House clash
1 March 2025, 00:36 | Updated: 1 March 2025, 06:35
Donald Trump has warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy he is "gambling with World War Three" during an unprecedented Oval Office clash that later saw Ukraine's leader "kicked out" of the White House.
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Friday's high-stakes meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump saw the US President issue an ultimatum: "make a deal or we're out".
The fiery exchange saw Vice President JD Vance accuse Zelenskyy of being "disrespectful" after the leader flagged that Putin cannot be trusted, citing countless broken promises over the years.
And with Zelenskyy warning that the US would feel the impact of the war if it continues, Trump interrupted saying: "Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem."
"You don't have the card right now... you're gambling with the lives of millions of people... you're gambling with World War Three... and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country," Trump added.
Read more: Watch: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy engage in fiery White House clash
European leaders including Macron, von der Leyen and Starmer banded together in support of Ukraine in the hours that followed.
It comes as a late-night statement from No 10 saw the Prime Minister express his 'unwavering support for Ukraine' - as it revealed Starmer had spoken to both Trump and Zelenskyy following the fallout.
It comes as Starmer is set to hold talks with Ukraine’s leader and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni in Downing Street on Sunday.
The discussions also precede a major defence summit that's set to take place in London, with European leaders hoping to secure “lasting and enforced” peace in Ukraine.
The Oval Office meltdown left Ukraine's ambassador to the US cradling her head in her hands, with a subsequent press conference cancelled and a rare minerals deal, framed as a potential cornerstone of peace, left unsigned.
With Zelenskyy departing the White House early on Friday, Donald Trump was seen to hold an impromptu press conference with reporters as he arrived at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One on Friday afternoon.
Instant reaction to Trump and Zelenskyy's blazing row
Speaking on his earlier clash with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump suggested the leader had overplayed his hand during White House talks.
"I think if you had a ceasefire, it would be a ceasefire, a real one and that would end it, but he [Zelenskyy] doesn't want to do that," Trump said.
In order to restart talks with the US, the leader said Zelenskyy must have a desire for peace.
"He wants to come back right now," Trump said of Zelenskyy's desire to negotiate, adding: "I can't do that".
Following the clash, Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by saying he doesn't owe Donald Trump an apology, individually re-tweeting comments of support posted online with the message, "thank you for your support".
Responding to the clash, French president Emmanuel Macron told reporters: "There is an aggressor which is Russia. There is an aggressed people which is Ukraine.
"I think we were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue to do so."
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians do. Therefore we are working on a common path to a lasting and just peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany – and on Europe."
And Polish PM Donald Tusk also said he would stand by Ukraine following the meeting.
The earlier testy exchange in the Oval Office saw both Trump and vice president JD Vance remark that Ukraine should be thankful for US support in the war.
Trump claimed he had empowered Zelenskyy to be a tough guy, adding: "You wouldn’t be a tough guy without us."
Following the intense interaction, Trump issued a statement saying Zelenskyy was "not ready for peace".
Trump had earlier said that the deal was "a big commitment from the US", with Zelenskyy adding that he hoped the agreement would be "a step forward for Ukraine".
Trump warns Zelensky ‘you’re gambling with World War Three’
However, relations quickly fell apart as the pair took media questions.
Addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Trump said that he was "in the middle" and "for both Ukraine and Russia".
He said he wanted to get the conflict between both countries "solved".
He insisted that he was not "aligned with Putin" but instead was aligned "with the US and good of the world".
Zelenskyy took the opportunity to show Trump images of prisoners of war held by Russia.
Read more: Prince Harry takes veiled swipe at Trump hours after King Charles issues surprise state visit invite
Earlier in the day, the US president greeted Zelenskyy at the White House with a handshake before the pair posed for cameras.
Trump was seen giving a thumbs up and raising a defiant fist during the brief moment.
Zelenskyy's delegation was expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the US aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come.
Although the deal, which was seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraine's security, it leaves that to a separate agreement to be discussed between the two leaders.
However, both countries appear to have taken a step back in negotiations following their explosive meeting.
Leaders in Kyiv have pushed to ensure a potential US-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country's future security.
Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace - especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands - would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease.
Read more: Keir Starmer warns Putin may 'go again' in Ukraine and deal must be one 'that lasts'
Read more: Starmer to host Zelenskyy after Trump meetings - as PM declares UK 'all in' on backing Ukraine
Zelenskyy's visit comes after British PM Keir Starmer met with Trump on Thursday.
Speaking during a press conference, Starmer said the UK is "all in" when it comes to backing Ukraine.
It came days after he announced the UK would increase spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 to deal with a "dangerous new era".
Sir Keir said history "must be on the side of the peace maker, not the aggressor", added that he and Trump had discussed plans to reach a peace which is "tough and fair".
The UK and US can both win and get things done when they work together, he said.
Sir Keir later told NBC News: "My concern is that we know, historically, that Putin might go again.
"He has ambitions in relation to Ukraine. And therefore, if there’s to be a deal, it has got to be a deal that lasts."
The Prime Minister has insisted that any deal should commit to "boots on the ground and planes in the sky" to limit future incursions into Ukrainian territory.
