section_path: Vice presidency (2025–present)/Zelenskyy White House visit
section_name: Zelenskyy White House visit
paragraph_text: Zelenskyy White House visit
  
  On February 28, 2025, Vance and Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House's Oval Office in front of journalists in an internationally broadcast event. Vance was mostly quiet for the meeting's first 40 minutes, but then interjected to answer a question about Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Vance told Zelenskyy: "The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy... What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That's what President Trump is doing." Zelenskyy responded that Putin had not abided by a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Ukraine, and asked Vance, "What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?"
  
  The conversation became hostile; Vance replied that he was discussing "diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of" Ukraine, telling Zeleknskyy: "it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict." Zelenskyy asked whether Vance had ever visited Ukraine; Vance replied that had "watched and seen the stories" about Ukraine, accusing Zelenskyy of showing a "propaganda tour" of Ukraine. He asked whether Zelenskyy had ever offered thanks, despite Zelenskyy starting the conversation by saying "Thank you so much" to Trump. Vance falsely said Zelenskyy "went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October" 2024; Zelenskyy had actually visited a factory to thank workers producing ammunition for Ukraine, though the timing of the visit and separately calling Vance "too radical" raised suspicion among Republicans. After the meeting, Zelenskyy and his delegation were made to leave the White House, canceling the original plan to sign a minerals deal between Ukraine and the U.S.