Ukrainian peace talks and minerals deal in tatters after furious White House row

A vital deal between Ukraine and the US is in tatters after Volodymyr Zelensky was thrown out of the White House as talks with Donald Trump blew up into a bitter public row.

- JANE DALTON

The US president and his deputy JD Vance angrily accused the Ukrainian leader of gambling with a third world war, claiming he was “disrespectful” and “ungrateful”.

To the shock of the world’s watching media, the Oval Office talks descended into a furious shouting match, ending with the Ukrainian president leaving without having signed a deal pivotal to securing US help in ending the war with Russia.

Mr Trump ejected Mr Zelensky, even when the Ukrainian team were said to have been begging for a “reset” in relations.

Kremlin officials reacted with glee. Russian former president Dmitry Medvedev wrote: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII’.”

After Mr Trump and Mr Vance lashed out, one journalist in the room said the two sides yelling at each other in the Oval Office was “something I’ve never witnessed in eight years at the White House”.

The meeting started courteously but descended into open acrimony as both Republicans demanded Mr Zelensky show gratitude.

The US president claimed Mr Zelensky would have no power without him, berated him for “gambling with millions of lives” and said he could either make a deal or “fight it out”.

Mr Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart, who had flown to Washington to try to win security guarantees: “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 say they should have.”