Key advisers to President Donald Trump were reportedly stunned by the Oval Office blowup between Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
Zelenskyy was confrontational and aggressive toward Trump, and Vance stepped in to suggest strongly that he show more gratitude for the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. has given Ukraine in money and weapons to fight against Russia.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were joined by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for lunch in the Cabinet Room, where they rehashed what had happened on camera and in front of reporters.
Several of the officials were in disbelief about the way Zelenskyy badgered Trump, while another one said that if Zelenskyy had disagreed with Trump privately instead of publicly, the blowup would not have happened.
In the end, the planned minerals deal with Ukraine did not go forward, and Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House without the joint press conference that was planned taking place.
Some on Trump's team believed that Zelenskyy's chief adviser Andriy Yermak had undermined the negotiations in the days before the meeting, but others weren't so sure Zelenskyy himself wasn't the problem.
Neither side had signed the customary paperwork ahead of the deal, which made some of the advisers nervous.
But Zelenskyy seemed excited about signing the deal. No one was ready for how things turned.
The minerals deal was seen as a first step to a ceasefire agreement, but it didn't happen so now leadership has to regroup and see where to go from there.
Trump and Vance are taking a practical approach to the war. They know Ukraine can't win, so they'd rather negotiate an end than keep throwing bad money after good.
Ukraine is understandably concerned that Russia won't honor any agreement that is made, and doesn't want to look weak by giving up any of the territory Russia took away.
Other pundits have said that Trump and Vance were making it clear that Zelenskyy really had no choice but to agree to terms because the funding they needed would not be continuing.
There's no telling how much more Ukraine could lose if the U.S. stops giving aid. It really is their best move to go along with the agreement and give Trump what he wants.
