Trump officials slam Zelenskyy, as Western leaders rally around Ukraine

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The future of United States support for Ukraine stands in doubt after a high-profile meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump devolved into a shouting match.

The two leaders – along with US Vice President JD Vance – clashed on Feb 28 in front of reporters at the Oval Office over the future of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There were indications the meeting would be prickly from the moment Zelenskyy arrived at the White House after Trump greeted the Ukrainian leader with a quip about his outfit.

Tensions soon ramped up as it became clear the leaders disagreed over the terms of a minerals deal, which would give the US broad access to Ukraine’s rare earths as repayment for Washington’s support for Kyiv’s fight against Russia.

Zelenskyy emphasised that any agreement needed to include real security assurances for Ukraine, something the US under Trump has so far avoided.

Tensions spiked as Trump touted his friendly relations with President Vladimir Putin, before he blamed Zelenskyy’s animosity towards the Russian leader for stalling peace talks.