President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the latest European leader to sit in Donald Trump’s hot seat this week – and it was a heated affair.

The pair came to verbal blows in the Oval Office earlier today (28 February), with the US president warning his Ukrainian counterpart that he was ‘gambling with World War III‘.

Put it this way – Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, was left with her head in her hands after hearing the leaders lock horns.

Take a look at this:

As well as patting his own nation on the back for offering military support, Trump told Zelenskyy that Ukraine is in ‘big trouble’ and that the country is ‘not winning’ the conflict with Russia.

“If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks,” he fumed. “You don’t have the cards right now. You’re buried there, people are dying, you’re running low on soldiers.

“With us, you have the cards…You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III! What you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country.”

The mention of World War III has obviously set alarm bells ringing for a lot of people, and a host of Brits have now been left wondering where the UK stands in all of this.

Zelenskyy’s disastrous visit came hot on the heels of Sir Keir Starmer‘s sit-down with Trump, where the leaders both vowed to nurture the longstanding transatlantic relationship.

Despite their meeting appearing very chummy and Trump describing the UK Prime Minister as a ‘special man’, the pair took opposing views on what to do about Ukraine.

Keir Starmer and Donald Trump put on a united front as they sat down together earlier this week (Carl Court – Pool/Getty Images)

Trump stated that ‘if it [a peace deal] doesn’t happen quickly, it may not happen at all’, while Starmer insisted that ‘history must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader’.

The president insisted that the US would ‘always be with the British’, but seemed to suggest he wouldn’t follow the UK’s suit by sending soldiers over to Ukraine to enforce any peace deal.

The Labour leader recently declared that he is ‘ready and willing’ to send UK troops to the war-torn country, while he also drastically amped up the UK’s defence spending.

According to Trump, UK soldiers would be able to ‘take care of themselves’ in this peace-keeping scenario.

When asked if he would bolster the British military in Ukraine with US forces if necessary, Trump responded: “If they need help, I’ll always be with the British, okay? But they don’t need help.

“The British have incredible soldiers, incredible military and they can take care of themselves.”

So… as Starmer is somewhat stuck in the middle amid Zelenskyy and Trump’s spat on Friday, where does the UK government go from here?

The UK Prime Minister has been an avid supporter of Ukraine (Carl Court/Getty Images)

Well, according to reports, Downing Street will stand firm.

Sources told Sky News that the government’s position – which the insider described as ‘unwavering support for just and lasting peace that ensures Ukraine’s sovereignty and security’ – remains unchanged.

Reiterating Starmer’s ‘no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine’ stance, the source then added: “Let’s see what happens in coming days.”

Trump quickly issued a statement regarding the drama in the Oval Office on his platform Truth Social, before Zelenskyy shared a response of his own.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also shared her thoughts on the explosive exchange in a post on X too, saying ‘respectable diplomacy is essential for peace’.

“A divided West only benefits Russia,” Badenoch wrote. “Now is the time for more cooperation, not less. Any peace agreement must be negotiated with Ukraine at the table, and will need security guarantees.

“We cannot lose sight of the fact that tonight air raid sirens are sounding in Ukraine.”

On Sunday (2 March), Starmer will hold talks in Downing Street with Zelenskyy and other European leaders in the hopes of working out how to secure ‘lasting and enforced’ peace in Ukraine.

Donald Trump gave a seven word response when asked if he kicked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House during the televised meeting on Friday (28 February).

The President of the United States, alongside Vice President JD Vance, sat down with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office to discuss the ongoing war in Russia, along with a minerals agreement.

However, it didn’t take long for the encounter to escalate into a heated confrontation, which looks to have damaged US-Ukraine relations.

Tensions boiled over when Vance demanded that Zelenskyy should express gratitude for US’s military support to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy then responded with gratitude, but also highlighted the ongoing challenges his country still faces.

This is when Trump went on to criticise Zelenskyy, something he did a lot during the meeting, warning that Ukraine was ‘gambling with world war three’ without U.S. support.

US President Donald Trump clashed with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,” he said.

Following the fallout, the 78-year-old was asked if he told Zelenskyy to leave the White House.

“I don’t have to tell you that,” he replied.

“I think you know the answer to that.”

This comes after Sir Keir Starmer told Zelenskyy he has ‘full backing across the United Kingdom’, after the two met in Downing Street on Saturday (1 March).

The two nations have signed a £2.26 billion loan deal for the UK to provide Ukrainian military supplies, which will be repaid using profits from frozen Russian assets.

The meeting shocked viewers around the world (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As cheers could be heard from outside, Sir Keir told the Ukrainian leader: “That is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine.”

He added: “We stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it may take.”

Zelensky replied: “I saw a lot of people and I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, [for] such big support from the very beginning of this war.”

After the controversial meeting in the White House, Zelensky has attempted to mend ties with the US.

In a statement, he said: “Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals.”

Taking to social media, the political leader added: “It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no-one wants peace more than we do.

“We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.”

The group in charge of carrying out Donald Trump’s executive order to declassify ‘six decades of secrecy’ has made a promise to the public.

Last month, the President of the United States signed an executive order titled ‘Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.’.

The order was put in place because ‘the victims’ families and the American people deserve the truth’.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer has put together a task force who are aiming to carry out the 78-year-old’s orders.

Also before the inauguration, Trump said he would release documents related to ‘Epstein Island’ and information on Area 51.

Chairwoman for the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, told Daily Mail podcast Welcome to MAGAland: “I don’t think the government’s been 100 percent truthful with the American people about what may or may not exist out there, especially in Area 51.”

Trump has called for the declassification of the JFK assassination files (Getty/Bettmann)

Meanwhile, Trump has explained why he wants the files to be released.

“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue,” he said.

“And although no Act of Congress directs the release of information pertaining to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I have determined that the release of all records in the Federal Government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest.”

But Comer also noted: “When President Trump ordered the release of the JFK assassination files and classified documents, what we learned a week and a half later is the agency didn’t release all the documents.

Will we learn more about Area 51? (Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“There were still 1000s of more pages.

“So we felt like this task force could follow up, and ensure that these agencies do what they’re supposed to do, because what we’ve seen over the past two decades in Washington is these bureaucrats don’t comply with Congress.

“They don’t obey the president. They have their own agenda.

“They’re all liberal activists and they’re arrogant.

“They don’t think the American people deserve the truth.

“They think they could spend tax dollars any way they want, the law doesn’t apply to them.”

Before becoming president, Trump promised: “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!”

President Donald Trump has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he’s ‘gambling with World War Three’ in an explosive discussion at the White House.

On Friday (28 February), the pair – along with Vice President JD Vance – met in the Oval Office where they discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a clip shared online, Trump can be heard telling Zelenskyy: “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards … You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III!”

The pair could be seen arguing as a heated discussion escalated.

Trump could be heard telling the Ukrainian president: “You either make a deal or we are out.

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.

“We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel, because you’re in no position to dictate that… You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel.

“We’re going to feel very good and very strong.

“You’re not in a very good position, you’ve allowed yourself to be in a bad position… you don’t have the cards right now… you’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.”

Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelenskyy he was ‘gambling with World War Three’ (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

At one point, Vance interjected, asking the Ukrainian president: “In this entire meeting, have you said thank you?

“You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”

Trump added: “Your country is in big trouble. Wait a minute. No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.”

Vance asked Zelenskyy if he had said ‘thank you’ (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The White House has since responded to the exchange, with Trump’s special assistant and communications adviser Margo Martin writing on X: “President Trump and Vice President Vance will always stand for America and those who respect our position in the world. America will never be taken advantage of.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump later added that Zelenskyy could ‘come back when he is ready for peace’.

“We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” he wrote.

“I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”