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US President Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an unprecedented verbal exchange on Friday at the White House. Here is the full transcript of the conversation in German:
The meeting in the Oval Office has already been running for nearly 40 minutes, reporters ask various questions. Finally, a reporter (shortened) asks: “My friends in Poland are worried that you (the US under Trump) are aligning too much with Putin. What is your message to them?”
Trump: “Well, if I didn’t align with both sides, you would never get a deal. Do you want me to really say terrible things about Putin and then say: ‘Hello, Vladimir. How’s the deal going?’ It doesn’t work that way. I’m not aligned with anyone. I’m aligned with the United States of America and in the interest of world peace, I’m aligned with the world. I want to end this thing. You see, the hatred he (Zelensky) has for Putin makes it very hard for me to get an agreement. He has enormous hatred and I understand that. But I can tell you that the other side doesn’t exactly love him either. It’s not about an alliance (with Russia). I stand on the side of the world. I want to see if we can get through this. Do you want me to be hard? I could be harder than any man you’ve ever seen. I could be incredibly hard. But that’s not the way to a solution. That’s just it.”
Trump wants to answer another press question and asks the reporters: “One more question!”
Vance (ignores the president’s request and intervenes): “I’ll answer it. Look, four years ago we had a president who at press conferences lost his temper and said hard things about Vladimir Putin and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant part of the country. The way to peace and prosperity could be in practicing diplomacy. We tried the way of Joe Biden, beating our chests and acting as if the words of the US president were more important than his actions. What makes America a good country is diplomacy. And that’s exactly what President Trump is doing.”
Zelensky: “Can I ask something?”
Vance: “Go ahead.”
Zelensky: “He (Putin) has occupied parts of our country, large parts of Ukraine, parts of the east and the Crimea. He occupied them in 2014. So, over many years. I’m not just talking about President Obama, then President Trump, then again President Obama and now – God bless – President Trump will stop him. But in 2015, no one stopped him. He just occupied and took what he wanted. He killed people.”
Trump: “2015!”
Zelensky: “2014!”
Trump: “I wasn’t here (at the White House) then.”
Zelensky: “Yes, but from 2014 to 2022, the situation was the same – people died on the front lines. No one stopped him. We had many talks with him, many bilateral talks and we signed an agreement with him in 2019, I signed a gas agreement with him, a ceasefire agreement, a gas agreement, a ceasefire agreement, a gas agreement and then he broke the ceasefire. He killed our people and didn’t exchange prisoners. We agreed on a prisoner exchange, but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy is that?”
Vance: “I’m talking about a diplomacy that ends the destruction of your country, Mr. President. Mr. President, with all due respect, I think it’s disrespectful to come into the Oval Office of the United States and attack the government that is trying to end the destruction of your country.”
Zelensky: “Were you ever in Ukraine, so you could see our problems?”
Vance: “I was there.”
Zelensky: “Come again.”
Vance: “I have seen the reports and I know what’s happening and I know what’s going on and I know what’s being said and I know what’s not being said. And I know that you’re playing with people’s lives and you’re playing with the lives of millions of people.”
Trump: “You don’t know.”
Zelensky: “God protect you, so you don’t get a war.”
Trump: “You’re not in a position to tell us what we feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. You’re not in a position to tell us what we feel, because you’re not in the position to decide what we feel.”
Zelensky: “I’m not saying that. I’m answering a question.”
Trump: “You’re not in a position to tell us what we feel. We will feel very good.”
Zelensky: “You will feel the impact.”
Trump: “Perhaps less.”
Zelensky: “Of course.”
Trump: (turns to the reporters) “It will be very difficult to make deals like this.”
Vance: “You’ve said thank you, except for the fact that there are disagreements here. Accept that there are disagreements and let us work through them, instead of trying to fight them out in the American media, if you’re in the wrong. We know you’re in the wrong.”
Trump: “But look, I think it’s good that the Americans see what’s happening here. It’s important. That’s why I let it go on for so long. (Now turning to Zelensky) You should be grateful. You don’t have the cards (in your hand). But if we sign a deal, you’ll be in a much better position, but you’re not behaving at all gratefully. And that’s not a nice thing. I’m being honest. That’s not nice. So, I think we’ve seen enough. What do you think? It will make great television. We’ll see what we can do to bring all this together.