An Oval Office meeting between United States President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky has devolved into a shouting match.
“President Trump: You"re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You"re gambling with World War III.
President Zelensky: What do you think about…?
President Trump: You"re gambling with World War III. You"re gambling with World War III! And what you"re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country. It"s back to you.
President Zelensky: I"m with all respect to your party.
President Trump: Far more than a lot of people said they should have.
Vice President Vance: Have you said thank you once?
President Zelensky: A lot of times.
Vice President Vance: No.
President Zelensky: Even today. Even today.
Vice President Vance: You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the [Democratic Party] opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the President who’s trying to save your country!
President Zelensky: Please, do you think that if you will speak very loudly about the war in -
President Trump: He’s not speaking loudly. He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble.
President Zelensky: Can I answer?
President Trump: No, no. You"ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You’re not winning.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You’re not winning this.
President Zelensky: I know.
President Trump: You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us!
President Zelensky: We are staying, Mr. President, we are staying in our country, staying strong. From the very beginning of the war, we’ve been alone. And we are thankful. I said thanks in this Cabinet.
President Trump: You haven’t been alone. You haven’t been alone.
President Zelensky: And not only in this Cabinet.
President Trump: We gave you - through this stupid President – USD 350 billion.
President Zelensky: You voted for your President.
President Trump: We gave you military equipment.
President Zelensky: You voted for your President.
President Trump: And you men are brave, but they had to use our military equipment.
President Zelensky: What about your President?
President Trump: If you didn’t have our military equipment…
President Zelensky: You invited me to speak. You invited me to speak.
President Trump: If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks. Okay?
President Zelensky: In three days. I heard it from Putin. In three days. This is something you -
President Trump: Maybe less.
President Zelensky: In two weeks. Of course, yes.
President Trump: It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this, I tell you”.