Trump is deeply concerned about the potential for war to break out. He can see the writing on the wall.
And this ominous warning about World War 3 from Donald Trump has the nation on red alert.
In a dramatic Oval Office confrontation on Friday, February 28, 2025, President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” during a heated exchange that derailed a high-profile diplomatic visit.
What began as a promising meeting — rumored to culminate in a deal tying the U.S. to Ukraine’s rare-earth mineral wealth — quickly spiraled into chaos, ending with Trump canceling a planned press conference and announcing that Zelensky was “not ready for peace.”
The tension ignited when Zelensky, after a mostly civil 45-minute discussion with reporters present, appeared to take a swipe at Vice President JD Vance. Responding to Vance’s earlier critique of former President Joe Biden’s war strategy and his call for diplomacy as “the path to peace and the path to prosperity,” Zelensky shot back with a pointed jab: “What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are [sic] speaking about?” His tone, dripping with skepticism, shifted the room’s mood instantly.
Vance didn’t hold back. It’s “disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” he snapped, sparking a shouting match that blindsided aides.
According to a U.S. official involved in orchestrating the visit, the eruption was unplanned.” Another official revealed that the fiery back-and-forth grew so intense that Trump ultimately ushered Zelensky out before any mining agreement could be finalized.
The vice president pressed Ukraine’s leader hard. “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 wanting to bring an end to the conflict,” Vance said.
Zelensky countered sharply, “Have you ever been to Ukraine? Have you seen the problems we have? Come once,” adding later that Vance “will feel” things firsthand.
That set off a fresh volley. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump interjected, bristling at the suggestion. Vance accused Ukraine of dragging Americans on a “propaganda tour,” while Trump laid into Zelensky with a stark warning: “You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should.”
The president didn’t stop there. “Have you said thank you once?” Vance piled on, referencing Zelensky’s October campaign stop in Pennsylvania alongside Trump’s political rivals. “Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”
Zelensky pushed back, accusing Vance of speaking “very loudly.” Trump jumped in again: “He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble,” he said, cutting off Zelensky’s attempts to interrupt. “No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning, you’re not winning this. You have a d*mn good chance of coming out OK because of us.”
As the Ukrainian leader tried once more to get a word in, Trump’s frustration boiled over. “We gave you, through this stupid president [Joe Biden], $350 billion. We gave you military equipment… If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks,” he roared.
“You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers … Then you tell us, ‘I don’t want a cease-fire. I don’t want a cease-fire.’”
Trump warned that attitudes needed to shift for any deal to work. “It’ll be a tough deal to make, because the attitudes have to change,” he said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.” With that, he dismissed the press, quipping, “This is going to be great television, I will say that.”
Nearly an hour after reporters were cleared from the room, Trump took to Truth Social to declare the visit over. “It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy [sic] is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” he wrote.
“I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Zelensky exited the West Wing just over two hours after arriving, climbing into a waiting car with Trump’s rebuke still echoing. Forty minutes later, he struck a softer tone on X: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
You can watch the entire exchange below:
Here is the full exchange in the Oval Office with Trump and JD putting Zelensky in his place: pic.twitter.com/PWllvioEBe
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 28, 2025
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