Trump on Oval Office spat: We had to get Ukraine to do the right thing

President Donald Trump, recalling a contentious Oval Office encounter involving Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the United States needed to "get Ukraine to do the right thing".

He described it as a tough situation. 

"You got to see a little glimpse at the Oval Office but I think they're doing the right thing right now and we're trying to get a peace agreement done," the White House leader said.

Trump reiterated his desire for a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing the human toll.

"If I see somebody doing something bad that's going to cause a lot of death, the only reason I'm involved, and this is Russia and Ukraine, but a lot of people, it's humanity. A lot of people are being killed over there," he said.

The comments follow Zelenskyy’s February 28, 2025, visit to the White House for talks with Trump.

During the Oval Office meeting, a dispute erupted, and Zelenskyy left early.

On March 1, Trump accused Zelenskyy of focusing solely on war and resisting a peace deal.

On March 3, Zelenskyy acknowledged the clash but downplayed it, saying he didn’t want to dwell on it and believed it would pass.

On March 10, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, claimed Zelenskyy apologized for the incident in a letter to the U.S. president.