Zelensky leaves White House early after spat with Trump: As it happened

Congressman Greg Steube slammed Zelensky’s confrontational tirade in the White House as “ridiculous grandstanding.”

“Ridiculous grandstanding by Zelensky in the Oval Office,” the lawmaker wrote on X.

“The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to defend Ukraine. And this is the thanks the American people get?” he said.

The era of blank checks for Ukraine is done, Rep. Mark Green said in a press release on Friday, commenting on Zelensky’s scandalous visit to the Oval Office. The lawmaker said Trump offered a “beyond generous” deal for Ukrainian mineral resources.

”Instead, President Zelensky came into the Oval Office and disrespected the President of the United States,” Green said.

”Well, guess what—the era of blank checks is over,” he said.

”A 50/50 split is beyond generous. No mining company and its investors would ever do that deal. Most mining companies get 90% and the country gets 10%,” the lawmaker said.

Zelensky needs to apologize for turning his bilateral meeting with Trump into a “fiasco,” State Secretary Marco Rubio told CNN on Friday.

He should “apologize for turning this thing into the fiasco for him that it became,” the top diplomat said. “There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” he added.

He noted that Ukrainian leader’s attitude could be viewed as a reluctance to work towards a peace deal.

“And so you start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn’t want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn’t,” Rubio said.

Congressman Pat Harrigan took to X to commend Trump’s handling of the meeting, praising his adherence to US interests.

“America’s priorities come first. @POTUS and @VP made it clear—Ukraine’s interests are not America’s interests,” he wrote.

“We’ve spent hundreds of billions with no accountability, no clear objectives, and no plan for peace,” Harrigan stressed. “It’s time to put America first and end this war.”

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain praised Trump as a peacemaker, replying to Trump’s Truth Social post about the confrontational Friday meeting.

“President Trump inherited this war. He has said from the beginning he wants to bring peace,” she wrote on X.

“I know his negotiations will bring a deal together,” McClain added.

Senator Eric Schmitt praised the position Trump and Vance took in Friday’s meeting with Zelensky as firmly pro-American.

“It’s about time we have leaders who say what the American people are really thinking and prioritize the core national interests of America,” he wrote on X.

“The American taxpayer is tapped out, and President Trump and VP Vance are spot on,” Schmitt underscored.

Zelensky retweeted words of support from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in the fallout of his scandalous meeting with Trump.

”Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace,” Trudeau wrote on X.

Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar took to X to support Zelensky, branding Friday’s White House meeting as a fundamental threat to diplomacy.

“Slovenia upholds the principles and respect of international law and international relations. What we witnessed in the Oval Office today undermines these values and the foundations of diplomacy,” Musar wrote.

“We stand firmly in support of Ukraine's sovereignty,” she added.

Zelensky praised Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo for his support, following the scandalous White House meeting.

“Finland and the Finnish people stand firmly with Ukraine,” the official wrote on X. “We will continue our unwavering support and work towards a just and lasting peace.”

Majority Leader Steve Scalise stressed that Trump has been the first leader to sit down with Russia to discuss a serious and long-term peace in the Ukraine conflict.

“President Trump is fighting for PEACE,” he wrote on X. Trump is “the only one to get Russia to the table to consider a serious and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine,” Scalise said.