A big argument at the White House!
On February 28, 2025, a meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump, US Vice President (VP) JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned into a loud argument.
The leaders were supposed to talk about peace, but instead, they started shouting, and the Ukrainian team had to leave early.
What was the need for this meeting?
Since the US and Ukraine are allies, they hold regular meetings to discuss and strengthen their relations.
Ukraine has been at war with Russia since February 24, 2022. The US and NATO countries have helped Ukraine by giving in weapons, military equipment, and money between 2022 and 2024. The US alone has given $69 billion between 2022-24, making it one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters.
Unlike the last US President, President Trump wants to stop giving military aid and talk directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal to end the Ukraine-Russia war.
What went wrong?
The argument started when VP Vance interrupted President Zelenskyy and said that talking to Russia was a better way to end the war than sending weapons.
President Zelenskyy disagreed. He said that Russia had broken peace agreements before and that Ukraine needed a strong army to stay safe. VP Vance then called him “disrespectful” and “ungrateful.”
After that, President Trump and President Zelenskyy started raising their voice at each other, breaking the rules of diplomatic courtesy.
The argument got worse when VP Vance blamed Ukraine for supporting President Trump’s political rivals in the recent US election. Because of this, the meeting ended early, and an important US-Ukraine minerals deal was not signed.
What is diplomatic courtesy?
Diplomatic courtesy means being polite and respectful when world leaders talk, even if they don’t agree. It helps countries work together peacefully. Diplomatic courtesy includes:
- The use of polite and respectful language.
- Staying calm, even during difficult conversations.
- Not letting your emotions (anger, sadness, etc.) take over the discussion.
- Listening to both sides and being fair.
But in this meeting, none of these rules were followed!
What happens next?
After the meeting, President Trump posted on social media: “Come back when you’re ready for peace.” The US has decided not to make any new business deals with Ukraine unless a peace agreement is signed.
Later, President Zelenskyy said that he still wanted to talk to the US and was ready to make a trade deal.
On Tuesday, President Trump made a big decision. The US will stop sending weapons and money to Ukraine. Now, many people in the US and Europe are worried. They think this will make it harder for Ukraine to stay safe.
But now, nobody knows what will happen next. Let’s hope both leaders stay calm and talk to each other.
Being polite and respectful is important—not just for world leaders, but for everyone!