Transcript of Zelenskyy’s argument with Trump and Vance
Voice of America transcribed and translated from English part of the conversation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, which took place before the signing of the agreement and closed-door talks, ended in a sharp exchange.
Read it on Censor.NET.
"Question from a journalist: I'm talking to my friends in Poland, and they are concerned that you are too friendly with Putin. What would you say to them?
US President Donald Trump: Well, if I hadn't been in favour with both of them, you would never have had a deal. You want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say: "Hey, Vladimir, how are we doing on the deal?" It doesn't work that way. I'm not taking Putin's side. I don't take sides. I support the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I support the whole world, and I want to end this.
You can see the hatred he [Zelenskyy - ed. It's very difficult for me to make a deal with that kind of hatred. He has a lot of hatred, and I understand that, but I can tell you that the other side is not very enamoured of him either.
So it's not a question of attachment. I am committed to peace. I want to see a settlement. I am committed to Europe. I want to see if we can do it.
Do you want me to be tough? I could be tougher than any person you've ever seen - I would be so tough - but you'd never get a deal done that way. That's why things are going the way they are.
Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance: I will answer that. So, look, for four years, the United States of America had a president who spoke at press conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin, and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a large part of the country.
The way to peace and the way to prosperity is perhaps to engage in diplomacy. We tried Joe Biden's way, beating our chests and pretending that the words of the President of the United States were more important than the actions of the President of the United States.
What makes America a good country is its engagement in diplomacy. That is what President Trump is doing.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy: May I ask you a question?
JD Vance: Absolutely.
Vladimir Zelenskyy: Okay. So he occupied parts, large parts of Ukraine, parts of the east and Crimea. He occupied them in 2014. Over the years, I'm only talking about Biden, but then there was President Obama, then President Trump, then President Biden, now President Trump again, and God willing, now President Trump will stop him. But during 2014, no one stopped him. He just occupied and took, killed people...
Donald Trump: 2015.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 2014.
J.D. Vance: 2014.
Donald Trump: 2014 - I was not here.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Yes, but from 2014 to 2022, the situation was the same.
People were dying on the contact line. Nobody stopped him. You know, we had conversations with him, many conversations, a bilateral conversation, and I, as the new president, signed an agreement with him in 2019. I signed a ceasefire agreement with him, [French President Emmanuel] Macron and [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel. They all told me that he would never leave, we signed a gas contract with him, but after that he broke the ceasefire. He killed our people and did not exchange prisoners. We signed [an agreement that included] a prisoner exchange, but he didn't do it. What kind of diplomacy are you talking about, JD? What are you talking about?
JD Vance: I'm talking about diplomacy that will put an end to the destruction of your country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Yes, but if you do not stop...
JD Vance (interrupting): Mr President, Mr President, with all due respect, I think it's disrespectful of you to come to the Oval Office and get into a debate about this in front of the American media. Now you go around forcing conscripts to go to the front line because you have problems with manpower, you should be thanking the president for trying to end this conflict...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Have any of you been to Ukraine, what do you tell us, what are our problems? At least once?
JD Vance (interrupts): Actually, I've watched and seen the stories and, and I know what happens when you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr President. Don't you agree that you have problems mobilising people into your army?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): We have problems...
JD Vance (interrupts): And do you think that this is a sign of disrespect...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I will answer...
JD Vance (interrupts):...to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack an administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: There are a lot of questions. Let's start from the very beginning.
JD Vance: Sure.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: First of all, during the war, everyone has problems, even you, but you have a beautiful ocean, and you don't feel it now, but you will feel it in the future.
Donald Trump (interrupts): You don't know that.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): God willing, you will not have a war.
Donald Trump (interrupts): Don't tell us how we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us how we're going to feel.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I'm not telling you, I'm answering the question...
Donald Trump (interrupts): You are not in a position to dictate that. Remember that.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I do not dictate...
Donald Trump (interrupts): You're not in a position to tell us how we're going to feel. We will feel very good and very strong.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): You will feel the impact of...
Donald Trump (interrupts):...and very strong. You are not in a very good position right now.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): From the very beginning....
Donald Trump (interrupts): You've put yourself in a very bad position, and he [JD Vance - ed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): From the very beginning of the war....
Donald Trump (interrupts): You're not in a good position, you don't have any cards in your hand right now. With us, you have cards.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): We do not play cards.
Donald Trump (interrupts): No, you are playing cards. You are playing with the lives of millions of people, you are playing with World War III.
Vladimir Zelensky (interrupts): What are you talking about?
Donald Trump (interrupts): You are playing with World War III. And what you're doing is disrespectful to the country, this country
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): With all due respect to your country...
Donald Trump (interrupts): They [the US - ed.] have supported you much more than many people said they should.
JD Vance (interrupts): Have you ever said "thank you"?
Vladimir Zelenskyy: Many times.
JD Vance (interrupts): No, during this entire meeting?
Vladimir Zelensky: Even today.
JD Vance (interrupts): You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Say a few words of gratitude to the United States of America and the president who is trying to save your country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: You are welcome. If you think that you can speak loudly about the war...
Donald Trump (interrupts): He doesn't speak loudly, he doesn't speak loudly. Your country is in great trouble.
Vladimir Zelenskyy (interrupts): Can I answer ...
Donald Trump (interrupts): No, you've already said a lot. Your country is in big trouble.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I know that.
Donald Trump (interrupts): You're not going to win.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I know that.
Donald Trump (interrupts): You're not going to win this. You have a pretty good chance of winning, more or less, thanks to us.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Mr President, we remain in our country, we remain strong. From the very beginning of the war, we were alone, and we are grateful. And I said thank you in this office and not only...
Donald Trump (interrupts): You were not alone. You were never alone. We gave you and our clueless president $350 billion...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): You voted for your president
Donald Trump (interrupts):...we gave you military equipment and you bravely met them [Russians - ed.], but they had to use our military equipment....
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): You voted for your president... Can I speak? You invited me to speak...
Donald Trump (interrupts):..... if you didn't have our military equipment, this war would be over in two weeks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): In three days. I have already heard this from Putin. In three days. This is something new - in two weeks...
Donald Trump (interrupts): Maybe less.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Of course.
Donald Trump (interrupts): It's going to be very difficult to do business that way.
JD Vance: They will just say "thank you"...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I have already told the American people many times to thank...
JD Vance: Accept that there is a misunderstanding and go discuss these differences instead of arguing about it in front of the American media when you are wrong. We know you are wrong.
Donald Trump: But you see, I think it's good for the American people to see what's going on. I think it's very important. That's why I let it go on for so long. You should be grateful. You have no cards in your hands. You are buried there.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): I am grateful.
Donald Trump: Your people are dying. You don't have enough soldiers.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Mr President...
Donald Trump: You don't have enough soldiers. And then you tell us, "I don't want a ceasefire, I don't want a ceasefire. I want to leave, and I want this." Look, if you can achieve a ceasefire now - I'm telling you - accept it so that the bullets stop flying and your people stop getting killed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Of course, we want to stop the war.
Donald Trump (interrupts): You said you didn't want a ceasefire.
Vladimir Zelenskyy (interrupts): But I told you...
Donald Trump (interrupts): I want a ceasefire.
Vladimir Zelenskyy (interrupts): With guarantees.
Donald Trump (interrupts): Because a ceasefire can be achieved faster than any agreement.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Ask our people about the ceasefire - what they think.
Donald Trump (interrupts): It wasn't me. It wasn't with me. It was with a guy named Biden, who was not a smart man.
Vladimir Zelenskyy (interrupts): It was your president...
Donald Trump (interrupts): That was under Obama, who gave you blankets. And I gave you Javelins.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (interrupts): Yes.
Donald Trump (interrupts): I gave you Javelins to counter all those tanks. Obama gave you blankets. Statement: Obama gave us blankets, and Trump gave us Javelins. You should be more grateful, because without us, you have no cards to play. With us you have cards in your hands, but without us you don't.
Donald Trump: It will be difficult to make a deal because attitudes have to change.
Question from the audience: If Russia violates the ceasefire? If Russia violates the peace talks, what will you do?
Donald Trump (interrupts): What are you saying?
JD Vance: She asks what if Russia violates the ceasefire.
Donald Trump: What if something? What if a bomb drops on your head right now? What if they detonate it? I don't know. They broke it with Biden because they didn't respect Biden, they didn't respect Obama. They respect me.
I'll tell you, Putin went through hell with me. He went through a fake witch hunt where they used him and Russia. "Russia-Russia - have you ever heard of that deal, which was fake? It was a fake [deal - ed.] by Hunter Biden, a fake by Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Adam Schiff - it was a fake by the Democrats, and he had to go through it. And he went through it and we didn't end up in a war. He was blamed for everything that he had nothing to do with. It came out of Hunter Biden's bathroom. It came from Hunter Biden's bedroom. It was disgusting. And then they said: "Uh-oh, the laptop from hell was made by Russia, 51 agents - it was all a fraud," and he had to come to terms with that. He was blamed for all of this.
All I can say is that he may have broken agreements with Obama and Bush, and he may have broken them with Biden. He may or may not have done so. I don't know what happened, but he didn't break them with me. He wants to make a deal. I don't know if we can make a deal. The problem is that I've given you the ability to be a tough guy, and I don't think you would be a tough guy without the United States, and your people are very brave, but you either make a deal or we're out, and if we're out, you're going to fight - I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you're going to fight. But you have no cards, but as soon as we sign this deal, you will be in a much better position, but you are not grateful at all. And that's not good. I'll be honest, it's not nice. Okay, I think we've seen enough. It's going to be great for television, I'll tell you that."
After these words, the press was asked to leave the Oval Office.
The Trump-Zelenskyy dispute
As a reminder, US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, 28 February.
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy started arguing and switched to a higher tone during their meeting in the Oval Office.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaves the White House early after meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
No agreement on minerals between Ukraine and the US was signed in Washington.
