Donald Trump says Volodymyr Zelensky lacks gratitude, meet cut short after White House showdown: 10 key takeaways

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with Donald Trump ended in disaster on Friday, after they clashed in an extraordinary exchange before the world's media at the White House over the war with Russia.

Zelensky saw the Oval Office meeting as a chance to keep the US from siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine three years ago. Instead, President Trump and VP JD Vance blasted the Ukranaian president, accusing him of disrespect. Tensions with Kyiv’s key wartime ally hit a new low.

Here's a look at the 10 top developments:

• During the meeting, Trump blasted at Zelensky saying “You’re gambling with millions of people … You’re gambling with World War Three.” He also advised the Ukrainian President to crack a peace deal saying, “You're either going to make a deal or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out and I don't think it's going to be pretty.”
• Zelensky, in turn, warned the US would “feel it in the future” if it did not continue to support Ukraine.
• To this, Trump responded saying, ‘he is trying to solve a problem’ and blasted at Ukrainian for a lack of gratitude. “I gave you the javelins to take out all of those tanks. Obama gave you sheets . . . you gotta be more thankful.”
• Zelensky walked out of the meeting after a while and people close to the ddevelopment said he was actually asked to leave by the US President. Later, Trump posted on social media that “he can come back when he is ready for peace.”

• The minerals deal was not signed and a joint press conference was canceled.
• Zelensky refused to apologise for what unfolded between him and his American counterpart in an exclusive interview to Fox News. Although Zelenskyy stood firm and did not apologise for the altercation, he deemed the episode "not good for both sides."
• However, Zelensky expressed he believes Ukraine's relationship with the United States could be salvaged.
• "Of course" the relationship between the wartime allies can be fixed, Zelensky told Fox News, adding that he does not want to lose the United States as a partner -- while saying he wants Trump to be “really more on our side.”

• European leaders leapt to Zelensky's defense. German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said "we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war."
• Zelenskiy spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and EU Council President Antonio Costa, an official in the Ukrainian delegation in Washington told Reuters.