The internet was abuzz about the contentious meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky last week. After watching the shocking exit of President Zelensky from the White House, more information has surfaced about the meetings that preceded it, the response from the Ukrainian Ambassador, and the hot mic moment.

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On Friday, February 28th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House. The purpose of his visit? To sign a negotiated agreement that would bring Ukraine one step closer to peace with Russia. According to a BBC article published ahead of the meeting,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday to sign an agreement on sharing his country’s mineral resources, Trump has said.

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Zelensky said the success of the minerals deal, which was formally backed by his government on Wednesday evening, would depend on the outcome of his meeting with Trump this week.

Unfortunately, the minerals deal was not signed on Friday. Instead, Zelensky got into a heated exchange with President Trump and Vice President Vance that resulted in his premature departure from The White House.

From The Daily Signal:

Talks fell apart, however, when Zelenskyy grew indignant about security guarantees from the United States. The Ukrainian president said “there must be security guarantees,” and added that Ukraine “will never accept just ceasefire.”

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Things soured about 40 minutes into the open bilateral meeting, when Vance supported Trump’s efforts at “diplomacy.”

“The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy,” Vance said, comparing Trump’s approach to the “pathway of [former President] Joe Biden,” which the vice president said was “thumping our chest and pretending that” the United States’ words matter more than the United States’ actions.

Zelenskyy then challenged Vance’s conception of diplomacy, to which Vance shot back that Trump was using “the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.” Vance added that it was was “disrespectful” for Zelenskyy “to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media right now.”

Trump then dropped the hammer, telling Zelenskyy directly, “You’re not really in good position right now.”

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Trump told the Ukrainian president it’s a high-stakes game. “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.”

Zelensky left shortly after the exchange, leaving the minerals deal unsigned. Immediately after his argument with the President and Vice President, politicians and constituents alike began to point fingers. Many Trump allies pointed fingers at Zelensky, while others accused President Trump of ambushing the President of Ukraine. President Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelensky “can come back when he is ready for Peace,” while Zelensky stated in a Fox News interview that he would not apologize for his behavior, stating “I’m not sure that we did something bad.”

As we pray about this conflict, it’s important that we know the context. Zelensky was not ambushed in the White House by the President and the Vice President. Rather, it seems he came to negotiate with ulterior motives. According to The New York Post,

Before meeting President Trump, Zelensky met with anti-Trump Democrats who advised him to reject the terms of the mineral deal that the president was offering, according to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

“Just finished a meeting with President Zelensky here in Washington. He confirmed that the Ukrainian people will not support a fake peace agreement where Putin gets everything he wants and there are no security arrangements for Ukraine,” Murphy’s office posted on X at 11:15 a.m. Friday.

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The earlier meeting with Dems undercuts wild claims that Trump and Vice President JD Vance staged an ambush. In fact, it was Zelensky who came with an ulterior motive.

The purpose of the meeting was to sign the mineral agreement that he and Trump representatives had negotiated. He had twice refused to sign it after promising to, and thanks to Murphy, we now know he had no intention of signing it Friday.

By listening to the nakedly partisan advice of Dems instead of dealing forthrightly with the current president, Zelensky betrayed his countrymen and, for now at least, leaves them without the military and diplomatic protection that only America can provide.

It would seem that Zelensky had no intention of signing the minerals deal—at least, not without pushing for some last-minute changes first. As a result, he left Washington no closer to peace than when he arrived.

The Ukrainian Ambassador, pictured above, had her head in her hands after watching President Zelenensky blow up the meetings to secure the U.S.’s help in negotiating peace. So, where does this leave the U.S. and Ukraine? Zelensky posted on X the following day that he was ready to sign the minerals deal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the deal is no longer on the table, although President Trump signaled that Zelensky could be invited back to the White House if he expressed a desire for peace. As reported by several outlets including Just the News, President Trump has put a halt on any aid going to Ukraine-even aid that is currently en route or coming in through Poland. What will happen next? Will there be a deal for peace or will those desiring to stoke a third world war prevail in forcing the hand of the U.S.? For now, all we can do is pray.

Let’s pray against World War 3 and for peace in Europe. Let’s pray for an end to the violence and bloodshed, as the Bible tells us that the Lord “no pleasure in the death of anyone” (Ezek. 18:32). Above all else, let’s pray for God’s will to be done.

How are you praying about this meeting’s results and the end to the war in Ukraine? Share your thoughts, prayers, and scriptures below.

(Photo Credit: The White House)