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President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance argued with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in a tense exchange in the Oval Office over Kyiv's war with invading Russian forces.
Vance accused Zelenskyy, who had traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump and sign a deal on rare minerals that has become a crucial part of the U.S. continuing its support of Ukraine, of being disrespectful.
Trump at one point told Zelenskyy, "You're gambling with World War III."
The press event went off the rails after Trump was asked about his posture toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Ukraine's supporters criticize as being too friendly, versus Zelenskyy, whom he recently called a "dictator."
After Trump said he was aligning himself with "both of them" in order to seek peace, Vance added that former President Joe Biden's attacks against Putin only resulted in more fighting and destruction.
"The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy," Vance said.
Zelenskyy asked to respond to Vance, noting that Putin previously broke ceasefire agreements.
"What kind of diplomacy? JD, you are speaking about?" Zelenskyy said.
"During the war, everybody has problems, even you, but you have a nice ocean and don't feel it now, but you will feel it in the future," said Zelenskyy.
"Don't tell us what we're gonna feel, we're trying to solve a problem," said Trump. "Don't tell us what we're gonna feel."
"I'm not telling you ..." said the Ukrainian president.
"You're in no position to dictate that. You're in no position to dictate what we're gonna feel," Trump said.
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