The meeting of Wołodymyr Zelanski and Donald Trump in the White House had a turbulent course. There was a sharp exchange of sentences between the presidents. We publish a recording from the hottest fragment of this discussion along with transcription.
On Friday took place meeting president USA Donald Trump with the president Ukraine Volodymyr Zelnski in the White House. The conversation in the oval office was initially in a relatively good atmosphere, but ended with an unprecedented quarrelduring which Trump and vice president of JD Vance raised in Rugali Zelanski raised, accusing him of lack of gratitude and respect for the USA.
We present a recording with subtitles in Polish and the transcription of the hottest, nearly 10-minute fragment of this conversation.
JD Vance: For four years in the United States we had a president who spoke firmly at press conferences Vladimir Putin. And then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant part of this country. Maybe the path to the room and prosperity is diplomacy? We tried the approaches Joe Bidenhitting the breast and pretending to be words President of the United States They mean more than his actions. What makes America a good country is her involvement in diplomacy. And that's what President Trump does.
W. Zełenski: Can I ask a question?
JD Vance: Of course.
W. Zełenski: All right. Putin took large areas of Ukraine, the eastern part and Crimea. It happened in 2014. Over the years … I'm not just talking about a bidena. At that time, the president was Obama, then Trump, then Biden, and now Trump again. And may God give him that this time he would stop him. But in 2014 no one stopped him. He just took these areas and took them for himself. He killed people. Do you know what the front line looked like?
W. Zełenski: Yes, yes. He killed people …
D. Trump: I wasn't here then.
W. Zełenski: Yes, but …
JD Vance: Exactly.
W. Zełenski: Yes, but from 2014 to 2022 the situation did not change. People were still dying on the front line. Nobody stopped him. We had talks with him, many bilateral conversations. As a new president in 2019, I signed an agreement with him. Together with Macron and Merkel, we agreed to suspend a weapon. Everyone told me that he would not move further. We signed a gas contract with him. Yes, but then he broke the arms suspension. He still killed our people and did not mention prisoners, even though he agreed to it. What diplomacy do you mean, JD? What are you talking about?
JD Vance: I am talking about diplomacy that will end the destruction of your country.
W. Zełenski: Yes, but if you are not strong …
JD Vance: Mr. President, with all due respect, I think it is a disrespect on your side to come to the oval office and discuss it publicly before the American media. Now your army has problems with human resources, so you force conscripts to fight on the front. You should thank the President for trying to end this conflict.
W. Zełenski: Have you ever been to Ukraine if you say what problems we have?
W. Zełenski: So count how many times.
JD Vance: I saw, watched relationships, I know what it looks like. You organize propaganda trips, Mr. President. Do you deny that you have problems recruiting for the army?
W. Zełenski: We have problems …
JD Vance: Do you think it's respect …
JD Vance: Come to the oval office and attack the administration that tries to prevent the destruction of your country?
W. Zełenski: A lot of questions. Let's start from the beginning.
JD Vance: Here you go.
W. Zełenski: First of all, everyone has problems during the war. Even you, only you have an ocean and you don't feel it now. But in the future you will feel it. May God help you …
D. Trump: You can't know that.
W. Zełenski: May God help you.
D. Trump: You don't know that.
W. Zełenski: May God help you.
D. Trump: Don't tell us what we'll feel. We try to solve the problem. Don't tell us what we will experience.
W. Zełenski: I'm not telling you this. I answer the question.
D. Trump: You are not in the right position to define it.
JD Vance: This is exactly what he does.
D. Trump: You have no right to tell us what we will feel.
W. Zełenski: You will feel influence. I tell you.
D. Trump: We feel very good, we feel very strong.
W. Zełenski: You will feel influence.
D. Trump: And you are not in a good position. You put yourself in it yourself.
W. Zełenski: From the very beginning of the war …
W. Zełenski: From the very beginning of the war, Mr. President …
D. Trump: You don't have good cards now. You can have them with us.
W. Zełenski: I don't play cards. I am very serious, Mr. President.
D. Trump: Now you play cards.
W. Zełenski: I am the president during the war.
D. Trump: You risk the lives of millions of people. You risk World War III.
W. Zełenski: What do you think about …
D. Trump:You risk World War III. And what you do is a great lack of respect for the country that supported you …
W. Zełenski : With all due respect to what you said.
D. Trump: He supported much more than many, he should.
W. Zełenski: I am full of respect.
JD Vance: Did you say “thank you” during this meeting at least once?
W. Zełenski: Many times, even today.
JD Vance: But did you say “thank you” throughout this meeting?
W. Zełenski: Even today.
JD Vance: In October you went to Pennsylvania and conducted a campaign for the opposition. Maybe it is worth saying a few words of gratitude to the United States of America …
W. Zełenski: What are you talking about?
JD Vance: … and for the president who is trying to save your country.
W. Zełenski: Please. Do you think that if you speak loudly about the war, will you change something?
D. Trump: He doesn't speak aloud.
W. Zełenski: I can ask …
D. Trump: Your country is in serious trouble.
W. Zełenski: Can I answer?
D. Trump: Wait a moment. No, no.
W. Zełenski: I can ask …
D. Trump: You've already said a lot. Your country is in serious trouble.
D. Trump: You don't win.
D. Trump: You don't win this war.
W. Zełenski: We remain …
D. Trump: You have a good chance to get out of this defensive hand – thanks to us.
W. Zełenski: Mr. President, we stay in our country, we stay strong. From the very beginning of the war we were alone and we are grateful. I said thank you …
D. Trump: You weren't alone.
W. Zełenski: I thanked at this meeting in this office.
D. Trump: You weren't alone. We gave you, thanks to this “stupid president”, $ 350 billion.
W. Zełenski: I, I said “thank you”. You chose your president yourself.
D. Trump: We gave you military equipment and your people are brave …
W. Zełenski: You chose your president yourself.
D. Trump: … but they had to use our equipment. If you didn't have our military equipment …
W. Zełenski: You invited me. You invited to talk.
D. Trump: If you did not use our military equipment, this war would end in two weeks.
W. Zełenski: In three days. I have heard it from Putin. In three days. In two weeks – it's something new.
D. Trump: Maybe even shorter.
D. Trump: It will be very difficult to do business in such an atmosphere, I tell you.
JD Vance: But can't you just say “thank you”?
W. Zełenski: I said it many times.
JD Vance: Accept that there are differences of sentences …
W. Zełenski: … Thank you to the American nation.
JD Vance: Accept that there are differences of sentences and instead of playing them in the American media, it is better to explain them. Because you are wrong. We know you are wrong.
D. Trump: But you know what? I think it is good for the Americans to see what is happening. I think it's very important. That's why I let this conversation last for so long. You must be grateful.
W. Zełenski: I am … I am grateful.
D. Trump: You don't have cards. You are in a trap. Your people are dying.
W. Zełenski: I can say again …
D. Trump: Soldiers are running out.
W. Zełenski: Please don't play with us, Mr. President.
W. Zełenski: Listen, soldiers end. It would be a very good solution …
W. Zełenski: Mr. President …
D. Trump: And you still say “I don't want to suspend your weapon. I don't want to suspend your weapon. I want to fight further, I want this, I want that …”. Look, if you could suspend your weapon now, I will tell you one thing – you should agree. That the balls stop flying so that your people stop dying.
W. Zełenski: Of course, of course we want to end the war, but I said …
D. Trump: But you say you don't want to suspend your weapon.
W. Zełenski: But I said …
D. Trump: I want a weapon suspension.
W. Zełenski: … that I mean the right guarantees.
D. Trump: A weapon suspension can be achieved faster than a peace agreement.
W. Zełenski: Ask our people what they think about suspending weapons.
D. Trump: It wasn't with me.
W. Zełenski: It doesn't matter to you what it means.
D. Trump: It wasn't with me. It was with a guy named Biden, who is not very smart.
W. Zełenski: But it was your president.
W. Zełenski: It was like that with Obama.
W. Zełenski: It was your president.
D. Trump: I'm sorry, but it was with Obama who gave you blankets and I gave you Javelin.
D. Trump: I gave you Javeliny to destroy Russian tanks. Obama gave you blankets. You know, as they say, “Obama gave blankets, and Trump gave Javeliny.” You should be more grateful because I will tell you one thing – without us you don't have any cards. You have cards with us. Without us – you have nothing.
Journalist: One more question to Mr. Vice President.
D. Trump: It will be a difficult matter to do. Because attitudes must change.
Journalist: What if Russia will break the suspension of the weapon? What then? I understand that now the conversation is hot, but …
D. Trump: What do you mean?
Journalist: What if Russia breaks the suspension of the weapon?
JD Vance: Asks what if Russia breaks the suspension of the weapon?
D. Trump: What if … what if something happens? What if your bomb falls on your head right now?
Journalist: But they have weapons, they are powerful.
D. Trump: Okay, what if they break the contract? They broke her with Biden because they didn't respect him. They didn't respect Obama. They respect me.
Journalist: But all …
D. Trump: Listen, Putin has gone through a lot with me. By a false witch hunt in which they used it. All this narrative about Russia … Russia, Russia, Russia. Have you heard about it? It was a mystification. Hunter's scandal, Joe Biden. Hillary Clinton, suspect Adam Schiff. All this intrigue of the Democrats. Putin had to go through it and did it. It did not end in war. They accused him of everything and had nothing to do with it. The whole thing came out of the bathroom and bedroom Hunter Biden. It was disgusting. And then they began to say: “Oh, this laptop from hell is a job of Russia, 51 agents.” The whole was a mystification, and he had to endure it. It could have been that he broke contracts with Obama and Bush. Maybe he broke them with Biden. Maybe yes, maybe not. I don't know what exactly happened, but he didn't break them with me. He wants to conclude an agreement. I don't know if it's possible. The problem is that I gave you the strength so that you could be hard, but without the United States you would not be so hard. Your people are brave, but you have to make a decision. Either you sign a contract or withdraw.
W. Zełenski: Thank you.
D. Trump:And if we withdraw, you will have to fight alone. And I don't think it looks good, but you'll find out. You don't have cards in your hand. But when we sign the agreement, your position will improve significantly. And now you don't show gratitude at all. And this is not nice. Really, it's not nice. Okay, I think we've seen enough. What do you think, hm? I have to admit that it will be a great television show.
Source of the main photo: Jim LO SCALZO/PAP/EPA