Leavitt Puts Zelensky on Blast When Discussing Heated Oval Office Showdown

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made things clear when asked about the disastrous Oval Office exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump on Friday.

During a conversation with Fox News host Howard Kurtz, Leavitt stood firmly behind Trump after Kurtz pressed her about the tense meeting, describing Zelensky as both “antagonistic” and “rude.”

Kurtz kicked off the exchange by taking a swipe at the White House, saying Zelensky might have been “irritating,” but adding that “it also seemed like President Trump lost his temper.”

Leavitt pushed back strongly, rejecting that claim outright: “I would disagree with that. I think what happened in the Oval Office, I was there, was unfortunately President Zelensky came in with a mindset not wanting to negotiate peace.”

She put the responsibility on Zelensky’s approach: “President Zelensky was also antagonistic, and frankly, he was rude. He picked a fight with the Vice President of the United States. He repeatedly interrupted President Trump… After three years of funding this brutal war, [Americans] are sick and tired of footing the bill.”

Kurtz pressed the issue further, noting, “The president kicked him out without the expected agreement about rare minerals, and President Zelensky kept saying he needed security agreements, security because Vladimir Putin had a long history of breaking agreements, so wasn’t that a reasonable point for him to make?”

Leavitt fired back: “Well, that’s not what this meeting was about. And President Zelensky was told that ahead of time… This meeting was about signing an economic partnership between the United States of America and Ukraine.”

When Kurtz jumped in with: “His country’s at war!” Leavitt shifted the focus, insisting Trump remains committed to finding peace.

Kurtz responded, “Yeah, I would just say a ceasefire might leave all the Russian land gains intact,” before adding: “I’ve never seen anything like it, would have happened behind closed doors. So why hold the meeting in front of the cameras?”

Leavitt’s answer was clear: “Because President Trump is the most transparent president in history and it was great for the cameras to be in there because the American people and the world were able to see what the president and his team has seen behind the scenes in negotiating with President Zelensky’s team.”

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Zelensky has no intention of stepping down after the disastrous meeting with Trump on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at Stansted Airport before departing the UK, Zelensky stated he’s “ready to sign” the minerals deal with the U.S., despite the fallout from his fiery Oval Office clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

During the airport interview, Zelensky claimed he “just wants the Ukrainian position to be heard” when asked about his contentious White House meeting.

“We want our partners to remember who the aggressor is in this war. We need peace, not endless war,” Zelensky emphasized after attending a weekend summit in London with European allies.

“In the near future, all of us in Europe will shape our common positions – the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on. These positions will be presented to our partners in the United States,” he continued.

Following the reality check Zelensky received from allies during Friday’s meeting, European security commitments are expected to help ease tensions between Kyiv and Washington.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that Britain, France, “and others,” are working together with Ukraine to develop a roadmap to end the conflict — a plan they intend to present to Washington.

France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, offered diplomatic reassurances, saying that a ceasefire focused on “air, sea, and energy” could give allies an opportunity to gauge whether Russia is serious about ending the war.

Barrot also expressed hope that Trump and Zelensky could reopen dialogue, a sentiment echoed by Peter Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to the U.S., who stated on Sunday that the relationship between the two leaders needs a “very radical reset” — and that a fresh round of talks should happen soon.

To rekindle U.S. support for a durable peace agreement, Ukraine’s European allies have indicated they’re willing to back a truce.

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