Trump to Zelenskyy: You Are 'Gambling With WWIII'

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disrespectful during their White House meeting Friday over bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump told Zelenskyy he was being disrespectful in his push for U.S. security commitments to keep his country safe from further Russian aggression.

"You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump said. "You're gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have."

"Your people are very brave, but, you're either going to make a deal, or we're out. And if we're out, you'll fight it out," Trump added.

Zelenskyy stirred Trump's responses by insisting that promises of peace from Vladimir Putin can’t be trusted, noting the Russian leader’s history of broken promises. Trump said Putin hasn’t broken agreements with him.

“You’ve got to be more thankful,” Trump told Zelenskyy. 

Trump chided Zelenskyy after Vice President JD Vance, one of the administration’s most skeptical voices on Ukraine, said Zelenskyy was being disrespectful for debating Trump in the Oval Office in front of the American media.

“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile,  Trump told Zelenskyy that Ukrainian soldiers have been unbelievably brave and talked up an economic agreement between their two countries.

“It is a big commitment from the United States,” Trump said. He added that the United States has little of the rare earth minerals that are abundant in Ukraine, and says those resources will support uses in the U.S. including artificial intelligence and military weapons.

Zelenskyy talked up the prospect for liquid natural gas exports to Europe, but disagreed when Trump repeated his claim that Europe “did much less” than the United States to support Ukraine against Russia.

Zelenskyy called Putin a killer and a terrorist and told Trump there should be “no compromises with a killer.” He brought along printed photos to show Trump, but journalists in the room could not see them.

After the leaders parted at the end of the meeting, their planned joint press conference was called off.

Information from Newsmax wire services was used in this report.