Minutes after stating he wanted to be kept in mind as a “peacekeeper,” Donald Trump introduced into a blistering admonishment of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to his face, as members of journalism and frightened diplomats searched.
At points in the barrage of criticism released throughout Friday’s sit-down, the president was helped by his deputy, JD Vance, who on several events asked a stone-faced Zelensky if he had actually ever stated “thank you” for U.S. military help.
Here’s a complete records of the intense exchange, which starts with Trump being asked by a press reporter about aligning himself with both Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin:
Trump: “Well, if I didn’t align myself with both of them, you ‘d never ever have an offer. You desire me to state actually horrible features of Putin and after that state, ‘Hello, Vladimir. How are we doing on the offer?’ That does not work that method. I’m not lined up with Putin. I’m not lined up with anyone. I’m lined up with the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I’m lined up with the world, and I wish to get this thing over with. You see, the hatred he’s [Zelensky] got for Putin, it’s really difficult for me to negotiate with that type of hate. He’s got remarkable hatred, and I comprehend that, however I can inform you the opposite is not precisely in love with him either. So it’s not a concern of positioning. I need to I’m lined up with the world. I wish to get the important things set. I’m lined up with Europe. I wish to see if we can get this thing done. You desire me to be difficult? I might be harder than any human being you have actually ever seen. I ‘d be so difficult, however you’re never ever going to get an offer that method. So that’s the method it goes.”
Vance: “I will react to this. So look, for 4 years the United States of America, we had a president who stood at interview and spoke about Vladimir Putin, and after that Putin got into Ukraine and damaged a considerable piece of the nation. The course to peace and the course to success is possibly participating in diplomacy. We attempted the path of Joe Biden, of thumping our chest and pretending that the President of the United States’ words mattered more than the President of the United States’ actions. What makes America a great nation is America participating in diplomacy. That’s what President Trump is doing.
Zelensky: [to Vance] Can I ask you [something]? Okay, so he inhabited huge parts of Ukraine, parts of the East and Crimea. So he inhabited it on 2013 so throughout a great deal of years, I’m not discussing simply Biden, however in those times there President Obama, then President Trump, then President Biden, now the President Trump. And God bless President Trump will stop him. However throughout 2013 no one stopped him. He simply inhabited and took he eliminated individuals.
Trump: “2015!”.
Vance: “2014 to 2015.”.
Trump: “I was not here.”.
Zelensky: “However throughout 2014 till 2022 the scenario was the exact same, that individuals are been passing away on the contact line. No one stopped him. You understand that we had discussions with him, a great deal of discussions, my bilateral discussion, and we signed with him. Me like a brand-new president in 2019 I signed with him. The offer I signed with him, Macron and Merkel. We signed ceasefire, ceasefire. All of them informed me that he will never ever go. We signed him with gas agreement … however after that, he broken the ceasefire He eliminated our individuals, and he didn’t exchange detainees we signed the exchange of jails however he didn’t do it. What type of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about. What do you imply?”.
Vance: “I’m speaking about the type of diplomacy that’s going to end the damage of your nation … Mr. President, with regard, I believe it’s rude for you to come to the Oval Workplace to attempt to prosecute this in front of the American media. Today, you guys are walking around and requiring conscripts to the cutting edge since you have workforce issues. You need to be thanking the president for attempting to bring it into this dispute.”.
Zelensky: “Have you ever been to Ukraine that you [can] state what issues we have? You need to come when.”.
Vance: “I’ve really enjoyed and seen the stories and I understand what takes place is you bring individuals, you bring them on a propaganda trip, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had issues? … And do you believe that it’s considerate to come to the Oval Workplace of the United States of America and assault the administration that is attempting to avoid the damage of your nation?”.
Zelensky: “[There are] a great deal of concerns. Let’s begin with the start. Firstly, throughout the war, everyone has issues, even you, however you have a great ocean [in between], and do not feel it now, however you will feel it in the future. God bless you.”.
Trump: “Do not inform us what we’re going to feel. We’re attempting to resolve an issue. Do not inform us what we’re going to feel … since you remain in no position to determine that. Remember this, you remain in no position to determine what we’re going to feel. We’re going to feel great. We’re gon na feel great and really strong.”.
Zelensky: “You will feel the impact. I’m informing you now you will feel the impact.”.
Trump: “You’re right now, not in a great position. You’re not in a great position. You do not have the cards today with us.”.
Zelensky: “I’m not playing cards today, I’m really severe Mr President. I am a wartime president.”.
Trump: [shouting] “You’re betting with the lives of countless individuals. You’re betting with World War 3. You’re betting with World War 3, and what you’re doing is really rude to the nation, this nation, even more than a great deal of individuals state they should.”.
Vance: “Have you stated thank you when?”.
Zelensky: “A great deal of times. Even today.”.
Vance: “You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, provide some words of gratitude to the United States of America and the president who’s attempting to conserve your nation.”.
Zelensky: “Please. You believe that if you will speak really loudly about the war …”.
Trump: “He’s not speaking loudly. Your nation remains in huge difficulty. Wait a minute. No, no, you have actually done a great deal of talking. Your nation remains in huge difficulty. You’re not winning. You’re not winning this. You have a damn likelihood of coming out, fine Due to the fact that of us.
Zelensky: “I understand … We are remaining strong in our nation. From the very start of the war, we have actually been alone, and we are happy. I stated thanks in this cabinet.”.
Trump: [shouting again] “You have not been alone. We offered you, through the dumb president, $350 billion. We offered you military devices. You and your guys are brave, however they needed to utilize our military [equipment.] If you didn’t have our military devices this war would have been over in 2 weeks.
Zelensky: “In 3 days. Yes, I heard it from Putin ‘in 3 days’ … in 2 weeks.”.
Trump: “Possibly less … It’s going to be a really difficult thing to do service like this, I inform you.”.
Vance: “Simply state thank you, accept that there are disputes, and let’s go prosecute those disputes instead of attempting to eliminate it out of the American media, when you’re incorrect, we understand that you’re incorrect.”.
Zelensky: “I stated it a great deal of times to the American individuals.”.
Trump: “I believe it is very important for the American individuals to see what’s going on. That’s why I kept this going so long[to Zelensky] You need to be happy you do not have the cards. Your individuals are passing away. You’re running low on soldiers … Then you inform us. I do not desire a ceasefire. I do not desire a ceasefire … I look, if you might get a ceasefire today, I inform you, you take it. So the bullets stop flying and your guys stop getting eliminated …
… That wasn’t with me. That was with a guy called Biden who was not a clever individual. That was with Obama. Excuse me? That was with Obama, who offered you sheets and I offered you javelins. Yes. I offered you the javelins to get all those tanks. Obama offered you sheets. In reality, the declaration is Obama offered sheets and Trump offered javelins. You got to be more happy since let me inform you, you do not have the cards with us. You have the cards, however without us you do not have any cards.”.
Press Reporter: “What if Russia breaks peace talks? What do you do then?”.
Trump: “What are you stating?”.
Vance: “She’s asking what if Russia breaks the stop fire?”.
Trump: “What if anything? What if a bomb drops on your head today? Okay, what if they broke it? I do not understand. They broke it with Biden since Biden didn’t appreciate him. They didn’t regard Obama. They appreciate me. Let me inform you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a bogus witch hunt where they utilized him and Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia … You ever become aware of that offer? That was a phony. That was a bogus Hunter Biden, Joe Biden fraud. Hillary Clinton, shifty Adam Schiff, it was a Democrat fraud. And he needed to go through that. And he did go through it. We didn’t wind up in a war. And he went through it. He was implicated of all that things. He had absolutely nothing to do with it. It came out of Hunter Biden’s restroom. It came out of Hunter Biden’s bed room. It was revolting. And after that they stated, oh, oh, the laptop computer from hell was made by Russia. The 51 representatives The entire thing was a fraud. And he needed to tolerate that. He was being implicated of all that things. All I can state is this: he may have broken handle Obama and Bush, and he may have broken them with Biden. He did possibly, possibly he didn’t. I do not understand what occurred, however he didn’t break them with me. He wishes to negotiate …
… The issue is I have actually empowered you to be a ruffian, and I do not believe you ‘d be a ruffian without the United States. And your individuals are really brave, however you’re either going to negotiate or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll battle it out. I do not believe it’s going to be quite, however you’ll battle it out, however you do not have the cards, once we sign that offer you remain in a better position. However you’re not acting at all happy which’s not a great thing, I’ll be sincere. That’s not a great thing … All right. I believe we have actually seen enough …
” This is going to be terrific tv. I will state that.”.