President Donald Trump abruptly canceled the signing of a mineral deal during a meeting in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being “rude.” President Zelensky left the White House without signing the mineral deal after a tense meeting in Trump's Oval Office in Washington.
The surprising turn of events could disrupt the situation in Europe and around the world. During his visit with President Trump, President Zelensky was scheduled to sign an agreement that would allow the US to obtain more of Ukraine's rare earth minerals and hold a joint press conference. After the two leaders engaged in a heated argument in front of the press, the plan was scrapped.
President Trump insisted that it was essential for Ukraine to repay the US for the more than $180 billion in aid sent to the government in Kiev since the start of the war. It is unclear what this latest tit-for-tat means. It is also not yet clear what, if anything, President Trump wants from President Zelensky to get this deal back on track.
The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House by President Trump shortly after Trump had shouted at him and shown him open contempt, saying, “You're betting on World War III. What you're doing is very disrespectful to this country that has supported you more than most people know.”
The last 10 minutes of the 45-minute meeting saw a tense exchange between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President Zelensky. President Zelensky cited Moscow's long history of broken promises on the world stage, prompting skepticism about Russia's commitment to diplomacy.
Zelensky's main aim was to pressure Trump not to abandon his country and to warn him not to get too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, he was shouted down and Trump looked like a drama actor performing for the cameras.
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