President Donald Trump accepted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a visitor to the White House on Friday as Ukraine attempts to maintain United States support against Russia.
Zelenskyy, the leader of a war-torn nation, got far from a friendly welcome from the American president who repeatedly claimed the Ukranian president was not thankful for the support Ukraine has received from the U.S. and President Trump himself.
"You’re gambling with World War 3," President Trump said.
President Trump has made some of America's European allies anxious by opening lines of communication with Russia for the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He has stated that he has talked directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this month, President Trump referred to Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections" and added that "Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left."
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The Trump administration has insisted that Russia must be involved in peace talks to bring an end to the war.
In exchange for America's continued military backing of Ukraine, the White House expects Zelenskyy to sign an agreement allowing the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare minerals and energy sources. While the exact details of the agreement have not been published, White House officials have indicated that the deal does not come with security assurances.
The Trump administration has also discussed implementing a peacekeeping agreement, which could potentially see U.S. and European troops deployed to prevent Ukraine and Russia from fighting each other.
As President Trump welcomed Zelenskyy, he seemingly walked back his earlier comments calling the Ukrainian leader a dictator.
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On Thursday, when asked if he regretted calling Zelenskyy a dictator, he responded, "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question."
