Trump and Zelensky meeting devolves into shouting match over Ukraine war

Ukrainian ambassador to US holds head in hands while heated exchange plays out

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova was seen holding her head in her hands as she watched the heated meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump on Friday, according to a photo taken inside the room by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

The two leaders — along with Vice President JD Vance — engaged in a tense back-and-forth in the Oval Office over the nature of US support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.

Zelensky is hoping to appeal to the US for continued security assistance during his trip to Washington. Collins said that all of Trump’s diplomacy “is personal,” while Zelensky took a different approach: being “straightforward in his opinions.”

Collins said other top Ukrainian and US officials were also in the room during the exchange. Before reporters were asked the leave, Collins said she asked Trump if he and Zelensky could still make progress on negotiations today, and “he said, ‘we’ll see,’ essentially.”

Trump and Zelensky are expected to sign a minerals agreement at a joint news conference later this afternoon, but Collins notes, “there are real questions about what this looks like going forward.”