Democrats on Trump, Zelenskyy spat: Following the verbal spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Democrats have accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of doing "Putin's dirty work." On Friday, Trump and Zelenskyy engaged in a fiery argument, which resulted in the abrupt end of the Ukraine leader's US visit.
In a post on X, Senator Adam Schiff said, "A hero and a coward are meeting in the Oval Office today. And when the meeting is over, the hero will return home to Ukraine."
An embarrassment for America: Senator Chris Ven Hollen
Senator Chris Ven Hollen termed the Oval Office spat as "disgraceful", as he said, "Trump and Vance berating Zelenskyy — putting on a show of lies and misinformation that would make Putin blush — is an embarrassment for America and a betrayal of our allies. They're popping champagne in the Kremlin."
In a statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "President Trump and his administration continue to embarrass America on the world stage."
A bad day for America's foreign policy: Don Bacon
Republican lawmaker Don Bacon said, "A bad day for America’s foreign policy. Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom."
Following the unprecedented verbal clash in the Oval Office, a joint press conference scheduled between Trump and Zelenskyy in the East Room of the White House was also cancelled.
Minerals deal could not be signed: White House official
A White House spokesperson said a minerals agreement that was set to be signed between the US and Ukraine also did not go through. A statement from the White House said Trump and Vance “will always stand up for the interests of the American people and those who respect the United States’ position in the world — and will never allow the American people to be taken advantage of”.
The statement cited Trump’s exchange with Zelenskyy, in which the US leader asserted, “Let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards — but without us, you don’t have any cards.”
It also referenced a November Gallup poll indicating that 52 per cent of Ukrainians favour a swift resolution to the war and believe the country should consider "ceding some territory in exchange for peace".
(With inputs from AP)
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