How Vladimir Putin’s Russia celebrated fiery Donald Trump-Volodymyr Zelensky spat

Russian leaders celebrated after US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance delivered a harsh rebuke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Trump confronted Zelenskyy during a meeting that had been previously hyped as a historic moment.

Zelensky was in Washington to sign an agreement to jointly develop Ukraine’s rich natural resources with the United States. The Ukrainian leader had seen the meeting with Trump and Vance as an opportunity to persuade the US not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war with Moscow’s smaller neighbour. Instead, Zelenskiy was told to leave, and the agreement was left unsigned.

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, quickly mocked the US-Ukraine partnership’s collapse, writing on X, “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”

According to a report on Politico, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova joined in the name-calling, posting on Telegram in Russian: “How Trump and Vance exercised restraint and didn’t punch this scumbag is a miracle of restraint.”

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy chairman of Russia’s senate, also weighed in, stating on Telegram, “Zelenskyy lost this round with a deafening crash. And he will have to crawl on his knees for the next one,” as reported by Politico.

Meanwhile, Zelensky remained silent about the public lashing, instead posting a message of gratitude on X, thanking America for its support. He reiterated his commitment to securing “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine.

“We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion,” Zelensky posted on X.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possibility of offering a rare-earth minerals deal to the US after a major fallout between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.