The hopes of a peace negotiation that had gained momentum post the Russia-United States talks in Riyadh seems to have come to a halt, as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy exited the White House after a remarkable confrontation with his American counterpart, President Trump.
The Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has called out the Kiev regime for not wanting the conflict to end. In a briefing response, Peskov highlighted that, “The Kiev regime and Zelensky do not want peace. They want the war to continue. So in this situation, of course, only Washington’s efforts and Moscow’s readiness will obviously not be enough.” He further added that “The Kiev regime refuses to settle the conflict through negotiations.”
While the heated exchange, which ended abruptly, with Trump later posting on his media platform Truth Social that Zelenskyy can “come back when he is ready for peace,” was met with enthusiastic approval from Russian officials and media outlets, in contrast, the Ukrainian media has been supportive of Zelenskyy’s reaction.
Russian Reactions
As Peskov pointed out during a conference call with reporters, that, “President Putin was right when he said that despite the openness of the Russian side to the negotiation process, these good intentions run into the unwillingness of the Kyiv regime to maintain such dynamics.” Other high-ranking officials too have taken on to social media to express their support.
The Deputy Head of Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, posted on X stating, “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.” He also took to Telegram and wrote, “For the first time, Trump told the cocaine clown the truth to his face: The Kyiv regime is playing with the Third World War. And the ungrateful pig received a strong slap on the wrist from the owners of the pigsty. This is useful. But it’s not enough – we must stop military aid to the Nazi machine.”
The Spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, in a X post echoed Medvedev’s sentiment and commended Trump for demonstrating restraint while dealing with the President Zelenskyy. Further she wrote, “I think Zelensky’s BIGGEST lie for all his lies is the statement in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was left alone, without support. How Trump and Vance restrained themselves and did not smear this scum is a miracle of endurance.”
The Russian News Agency TASS reported that Zelenskyy on several occasions during the meeting tried to argue with Trump, sometimes even rushing to answer media questions ahead of his counterpart or interrupting him, and rudely reacting to some of the questions. TASS further noted that, during a press question-and-answer session, before the discussions began, when Trump mentioned that securing a deal to end the conflict was his top priority, wherein Zelensky interrupted to stress that for him, recovering all the lost cities of Ukraine was the main goal. Therefore, it seemed that the two leaders had clear misalignment in their objectives and wants from the meeting. With the Ukrainian delegation leaving the White House earlier that scheduled, the news conference that was to take place afterwards was called off. Additionally, the planned signing of the agreement for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals were also thwarted.
Aftermath of the Oval Office Meet
After President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation left the White House without signing the much-anticipated rare earth minerals deal, the President took to X, thanking America for its support – mentioning – “POTUS, Congress, and the American people.” He also emphasised that “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
The RT, formerly Russian Today, reported that, “Halting US military aid to Ukraine would be a significant step toward resolving the conflict,” as per Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “It is obvious that the US has been the main supplier” of military aid to Kiev, Peskov noted, adding that if the US were to relinquish this role or suspend supplies altogether it would “probably be the best contribution to the cause of peace.” As quoted from The Moscow Times, “The end of Western military aid to Ukraine has been one of the Kremlin’s key demands since the invasion, along with banning Kyiv from joining NATO, installing a Russia-friendly regime, changing Ukraine’s language policy and significantly reducing the size of its army.”
According to Bloomberg, Trump has directed a halt on all military aid to Ukraine, covering equipment that was already slated for delivery, as well as weapons currently in transit on planes and ships or awaiting transport in Poland. The New York Times reported that the president’s order, which is already in effect, impacts over US$1 billion worth of “arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order.”
Even though most Russian media has found delight in the televised quarrel, The Moscow Times, known for its Western affiliations, has highlighted the Kremlin’s concerns that growing tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could jeopardise Russia’s prospects of a favourable agreement with the US to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Even though, the Russia-US relations are not solely affected by the Ukrainian peace negotiation, it carries a strategic weight for Washington, better relations can be used as an opportunity, as the Kremlin agrees to facilitate nuclear talks with Iran.
Ukrainian Reactions
The confrontational meeting has drawn greater support from Ukrainians. According to the Washington Post, Oleksandr, a 40-year-old Ukrainian military officer who is fighting in the Kursk region of Russia said that there is still have a lot of work that has to be done. He was quoted saying, “Better war, than shameful peace.”
On his home turf, Zelenskyy seemed to have received a broad support and also was praised for his firm stance that any peace agreement without security guarantees would be pointless, and for asserting that Russia could not be trusted. Many senior Ukrainian officials have supported the stance that without meaningful security guarantees there will not be any successful ceasefire deal with Moscow.
Showing respect to President Zelenskyy “for bravery in calling things as they are and standing up for the honor of our people, who have paid with their blood for freedom,” the Minister of Digital Transformation since 2023, Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on X that, “Another Putin’s trap failed. You can’t build peace with ‘good fellow you trust’ without actual security guarantees.”
The Guardian has reported the Governor of Kharkhiv Oblast, Oleh Syniehubov’s support to Zelenskyy, stating that the President has defended the national interest despite intense pressure from the US to agree to a Russia-friendly deal that nearly amounted to capitulation. The Governor also added, “We [Ukrainians] only need a just peace with security guarantees.”
Even though few commentators have criticised the Ukrainian President on his handling of matters during the fiery discussion, majority of Ukrainian observers have come out in support of the country’s leader who according to them had walked into a carefully planned ambush intended to humiliate and demean him, considering Trump’s bonhomie with Putin.
The falling apart of the minerals deal while initially disheartening, has however not led to the Ukrainian business people and economists to believe that all is lost. Hennadiy Chyzhykov, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, told Kyiv Independent, “While political messaging might shift, the core economic and business relationships between the two countries remain resilient.” The deal giving the US similar control over Ukraine’s resources as the Ukrainian Government, did not offer any security guarantees against the Russian aggression, but promised a durable partnership to develop a “stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.”
Conclusion
As media reactions from around the world pour in after the fall out between two Presidents, there can be seen a clear distinction between its portrayal in the Russian media and Ukrainian media. The Russian media that relished the scenes that unfolded in the Oval Office, have greatly highlighted Ukraine’s unwillingness to reach a peace negotiation. On the other hand, Western and Ukrainian media sources have expressed support to Zelenskyy’s stance and disappointment at Trump’s claims. Therefore, with mixed reactions on the Trump-Zelenskyy meet, it still is uncertain on what the future trajectory of the Ukrainian War will be and whether peace is imminent in the near future. It should further be seen as a necessity that all stakeholders come to the table to discuss potential solutions to the war, as its global impact grows with each passing day.
