A hot mic picked up what Donald Trump said after his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which resulted in the Ukranian President leaving the White House.
The fiery exchange, which unfolded in front of the press, saw Trump berating Zelenskyy over a perceived lack of gratitude before ultimately ordering his aides to escort the Ukrainian delegation out of the White House.
Zelenskyy arrived in Washington last week with hopes of securing continued U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.
Instead, the meeting quickly spiraled into an open confrontation. Trump wasted no time making his stance clear, telling Zelenskyy: "You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers."
The former president then laid out an ultimatum: "You're either gonna make a deal or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out."
Vice President J.D. Vance also took issue with Zelenskyy's approach, calling him out directly: "Mr. President, with respect. I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media."
As tensions escalated, Zelenskyy fired back, challenging Vance's understanding of the conflict: "Have you ever been to Ukraine? Seen what problems we have? Come once."
Zelenskyy further stressed the toll of the war on his country: "During the war, everyone has problems... Just because they don't feel it now doesn't mean they won't in the future."
Trump, clearly frustrated, dismissed the concerns outright: "I'm trying to solve a problem. You're in no position to tell us what we're going to feel."
As the tense discussion played out, a hot mic reportedly picked up Trump's instructions to his staff before the press was ushered out, per the Daily Mail.
He was heard telling an aide: "You’re right, maybe we should [inaudible]. Let’s have a little something... Would you bring them to the Roosevelt Room?"
According to reports, it was in the Roosevelt Room that the Ukrainian delegation was formally told to leave.
Shortly after the meeting, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to share his version of events, calling the discussion "very meaningful" but slamming Zelenskyy as "not ready for Peace if America is involved."
He further declared: "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."
In the immediate aftermath of the disastrous meeting, the Trump administration announced a total freeze on U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
A White House official confirmed the decision, stating: "The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution."
The freeze applies to all military equipment not yet inside Ukraine, including advanced weaponry crucial to Kyiv’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory.