NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to mend his fractured relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, following a fiery Oval Office confrontation that derailed a critical minerals deal and cast doubt on future American support for Ukraine.
Speaking to the BBC, Rutte labeled Friday’s exchange “unfortunate” and stressed its implications for Kyiv’s war effort against Russia.
“It is important that President Zelenskyy finds a way to restore his relationship with the American President and with the senior American leadership team,” he said, detailing a post-meeting call with Zelenskyy.
READ: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Cheers Trump’s ‘America First’ Stand In Oval Office Clash With Zelenskyy
The high-stakes clash erupted when Zelenskyy accused Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance of failing to halt Russia’s aggression, sparking a barrage of rebukes from the U.S. leaders.
Trump warned Zelenskyy that without a ceasefire deal, U.S. aid—estimated at $100 billion since 2022—could vanish. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump declared, accusing Zelenskyy of ingratitude and adding, “You’re gambling with World War III.”
Vance piled on, chiding Zelenskyy for not thanking the U.S. and alleging Ukraine was forcing conscripts to the front due to manpower woes. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” Vance snapped.
READ: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham Rips Zelenskyy After Oval Office Clash, Questions His Leadership
Zelenskyy countered with images of Ukraine’s war-ravaged east, insisting he’d expressed appreciation but stressing Russia’s breaches of past agreements—like a 2019 ceasefire he signed with Germany and France. “He occupied it in 2014. Nobody stopped him,” Zelenskyy said of Vladimir Putin, rejecting a deal without firm security guarantees.
Tensions peaked when Zelenskyy suggested Americans don’t “feel” the war thanks to “a nice ocean.” Trump shot back, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel … You’re in no position to dictate,” before reminding him, “You don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. But without us, you don’t have any cards.”
The meeting imploded, with Trump canceling a planned joint press conference, a lunch—left untouched in a West Wing hallway—and the signing of a multi-billion-dollar minerals deal tying U.S. investment to Ukraine’s rare earth deposits.
READ: Trump Kicks Zelenskyy Out Of The White House Following Oval Office Showdown
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told Zelenskyy his White House visit was over, escorting him to a holding room before his early exit after two hours. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved … He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Zelenskyy, undeterred, posted on social media, “Thank you America, thank you for your support … Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
But his departure without new U.S. commitments—or the minerals pact Trump had conditioned aid upon—left Kyiv’s lifeline in limbo.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met Trump a day earlier, had urged U.S. air support for a European-led peacekeeping mission, only for Trump to pivot back to the minerals deal as Ukraine’s sole guarantee.
Rutte’s plea reflects NATO’s alarm as Trump’s stance rattles European allies reliant on U.S. might. The spat, coming after Trump’s recent talks with Putin and Starmer, hints at a broader shift—peace on America’s terms or none at all.
As Zelenskyy heads to a London summit Sunday to rally European backing, the White House fallout threatens to reshape the war’s trajectory, with NATO’s chief now pressing Kyiv to bridge a gap that could define its survival.
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