Trump and Zelensky Meeting At Oval Office (read transcript)

Donald Trump:  United States of America, and for the good of the world, I’m aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with. You see, the hatred he’s got for Putin, it’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate. He’s got tremendous hatred, and I understand that, but I can tell you the other side is exactly in love with you know him, either. So it’s not a question of alignment. I have to I’m aligned with the world. I want to get the thing set. I’m aligned with Europe.

I want to see if we can get this thing done. You want me to be tough? I could be tougher than any human being you’ve ever seen. I’d be so tough, but you’re never going to get a deal that way. So that’s the way it goes.

JD Vance: One more question. I will respond to this. So look, for four years the United States of America, we had a president who stood up at press conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin, and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country. The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. We tried the pathway of Joe Biden, of thumping our chest and pretending that the President of the United States is words mattered more than the President of the United States is actions. What makes America a good country? Is America engaging in diplomacy? That’s what President Trump is doing.

Zelensky: Can I ask you?

JD Vance: Sure.

Zelensky: yeah,

JD Vance: yeah.

Zelensky: Okay, Okay, so he occupied it so but exactly right, yes. our parts, big parts of Ukraine, part of East and Crimea. So he occupied it on 2014 so during a lot of years, I’m not speaking about just Biden, but those time was Obama, then President Obama, then President Trump, then President Biden, now the President Trump, and God bless now President Trump will stop him. But during 2014 nobody stopped him. He just occupied and took he killed people. You know what the contact? 2015 2014 2014 20 2014

But during 2014 till 2022 Yeah. What the situation the same, that people are been dying on the contact line. Nobody stopped him. You know that we had conversations with him. A lot of conversation, my bilateral conversation, and we signed with him. Me like a new president in 2019 I signed with him. The deal I signed with him. Macron and Merkel. We signed ceasefire. Ceasefire. All of them told me that he will never go. We signed him gas contract. Gas contract, yes, but after that, he broken the cease fire. He killed our people, and he didn’t exchange prisoners. We signed the exchange of prisons, but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy? JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?

JD Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country. Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office try to litigate this in front of the American media right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to to this conflict.

Zelensky: Have you ever been to Ukraine, that you say, to see what problems we have? Come once.

JD Vance: I have been to, I have actually, I’ve actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President, are Do you disagree that you’ve had problems like bringing people in your military, and do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to try to prevent the destruction of your country?

Zelensky: A lot of questions. Let’s start from the beginning. First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you, but you have a nice ocean and don’t feel [problems] now, but you will feel it in the future.

Donald Trump: You don’t know that.

Zelensky: God bless, God bless, you will not have War.

Donald Trump: Don’t tell us what we’re gonna feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re gonna feel.

Zelensky: I’m not telling you. I’m answering the question that…

Donald Trump:  You’re no position to dictate that exactly. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re gonna feel. We’re gonna feel very good.

Zelensky: You are going to feel influence.

Donald Trump:  We’re gonna feel very good and very strong. You’re right now not in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position. Examples to be right about the very beginning of the war, not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now with us. You start having cards right now, You’re gambling. Millions of people think you’re gambling with World War Three. You’re gambling with World War Three, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should.

JD Vance: Have you said thank you once?

Zelensky: A lot of times.