Connect with us

Published

on

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have clashed in the White House, with the US president telling his Ukrainian counterpart: “You’re gambling with World War Three.”

Mr Trump also told Mr Zelenskyy “you either make a deal or we are out.”

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” he said. “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 exactly. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel.”

Ukraine latest: Trump says Zelenskyy disrespected US and can come back when he’s ready for peace

Here is a look at what Sky News’ correspondents thought of the extraordinary exchange.

Dominic Waghorn, international affairs correspondent

European leaders will be looking at tonight’s spectacle in the White House in horror. Their approach has been to look on the bright side and hope wooing and flattering Donald Trump will bring him round on Ukraine.

Only those in the room will know for sure, but from where the rest of us were sitting, this looked very much like a deliberate ambush, led by the vice president JD Vance.

The Oval Office was reduced to a reality TV show. It seemed like the kind of orchestrated pile-on only Jerry Springer or Jeremy Kyle could be proud of.

If that is the conclusion of European allies, their choice is stark. Rise to the moment, accept America has become a rogue, unreliable ally under Mr Trump and do what they can to protect Ukraine, or watch themselves and Ukraine be picked apart by greater powers.

It is a moment of destiny for Europe that Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and others have been putting off arguably for too long, unwilling to accept their transatlantic partner cannot be trusted.

It must be repeated that neither Mr Trump nor Mr Vance have yet uttered a word of criticism for Vladimir Putin. They seem to like and respect him as do their cohorts on the far right of American politics.

If that is the case Ukraine now has only Europe to rely on. Is Europe up to the challenge?

More from Sky News:
How Starmer secured wins at the White House
Inside the Oval Office with Trump and Starmer

U.S. President Donald Trump talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 28, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Image:
Mr Zelenskyy listens to Mr Trump. Pic: Reuters

Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

The fiery and very public bust-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a disaster for Ukraine and its European allies and a triumph for Russia.

The spectacle of the US president berating his Ukrainian counterpart and telling him he is gambling with World War Three – played out on television in the Oval Office – was hard to witness.

Mr Zelenskyy – looking increasingly uncomfortable – decided to fight back. He likely felt he had little choice but to defend himself and his war-torn country.

But this act of defiance drew even more condemnation from Mr Trump as well as from JD Vance, who also started attacking the Ukrainian leader.

President Donald Trump, center right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov)
Image:
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump in the Oval Office. Pic: AP

It is hard to imagine a greater contrast from the chummy scenes between Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump and the scolding language used by the American president against Mr Zelenskyy, at times addressing him as though he were a naughty school boy.

Ukraine’s president, his arms crossed, tried his best to speak up, but he was clearly fighting a losing battle. The extraordinary breakdown is far more serious than just a made-for-television drama.

American support for Ukraine is critical if Kyiv is to withstand Russia’s war. The UK, France and Ukraine’s other European allies have been working overtime to try to keep Mr Trump on their side.

The US president has vowed to end the war and has started talks with Vladimir Putin. The two presidents also plan to meet. That alone was hard for Ukraine to witness.

But the Ukrainian side has attempted to work with Washington rather than against it, including by being willing to part with profits from its minerals and other natural resources in return for locking Mr Trump into a long-term partnership with Ukraine.

That all looks to be shattered – or at best is in serious jeopardy.

If Mr Trump, in anger, withdraws all of his military support to Ukraine, Kyiv’s ability to withstand Russia’s military will be seriously diminished.

The Europeans lack the capability to fill the void. The only person who wins in this scenario is Mr Putin.

Zelenskyy and Trump speaking in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump speaking in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters

David Blevins, Sky correspondent, in Washington

Donald Trump said it would make “great television”.

It certainly didn’t make for great diplomacy. Quite the opposite.

The gulf between the United States and Ukraine laid bare on camera around the globe.

The niceties in the Oval Office came to an abrupt end when Mr Trump said he wasn’t aligned with either Ukraine or Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned how diplomacy would work when Vladimir Putin “breaks ceasefires”.

Vice president JD Vance accused him of being “disrespectful” by trying “to litigate this in front of the American media”.

It went from bad to worse when Mr Zelenskyy replied: “You have a nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future.”

Mr Trump retorted: “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel… you’re in no position to dictate that.

“You don’t have the cards right now… you’re gambling with the lives of millions of people… you’re gambling with World War Three… and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country.”

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 28, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Image:
Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Trump and vice president JD Vance. Pic: Reuters

You could have cut the atmosphere in the West Wing with a knife as the back-and-forth continued for several minutes.

It brings the flurry of diplomatic activity in Washington this week to a disastrous conclusion.

The French president had flattered Trump with words, the UK prime minister stepping up the charm offensive with a letter of invitation from the King.

But Mr Zelenskyy, who looked like a man with the world on his shoulders, had chosen not to ignore the elephant in the room.

Instead, he continued to demand security guarantees from the United States as part of any ceasefire.

The hostile words culminated in a moment unprecedented in living memory – the Ukrainian president leaving the White House and being told not to return until he’s ready to make peace.

Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent

Like everywhere else, Moscow will have watched this exchange open-mouthed – stunned by its implications. But while jaws will still be on the floor in Europe, here in Russia they’re already grinning from ear to ear, because it really couldn’t have gone any better for the Kremlin.

Not only was Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly humiliated by the leader of the nation on which Ukraine’s future depends, the attack read like a script written by Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian leader was accused of “forcing conscripts to the frontline”, of taking foreign leaders on a “propaganda tour” and even “gambling with World War Three”. They are phrases one hears on Russian state media on an almost daily basis.

Under the Biden administration, that kind of language was aimed at Mr Putin, but this was an illustration of how Mr Trump has turned everything on its head and Russia’s president is the beneficiary.

When it was Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer in the White House earlier this week, there was a sense of anxiety coming from the Kremlin. On both occasions, Mr Putin felt the need to make public overtures towards Washington, as if to remind Donald Trump of what Russia has to offer, betraying a fear that he may be vulnerable to the other side of the argument.

Well there’s definitely no anxiety now – instead Moscow appears to be gloating.

“Historic,” was the one-word reaction from Kirill Dmitriev, the Harvard-educated head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, who was in Riyadh last week for the first meeting between Russian and US officials.

And the reaction from Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hinted at how Russia might use this going forward.

“It’s a miracle of restraint how Trump and Vance restrained themselves and didn’t punch this scumbag,” she wrote on Telegram, full of flattery.

Expect Moscow to dial up the charm offensive, giving Mr Trump the “respect” he accused Mr Zelenskyy of lacking. The aim will be to make tonight’s spat a permanent separation.

Continue Reading

US

Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein probe

Published

on

By

Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein probe

The US House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas for depositions with former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton relating to the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican-controlled committee also subpoenaed the Justice Department for files relating to the paedophile financier, as well as eight former top law enforcement officials.

Donald Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein‘s crimes, claiming he ended their relationship a long time ago.

Trump and Epstein at a party together in 1992. Pic: NBC News
Image:
Mr Trump and Mr Epstein at a party together in 1992. Pic: NBC News

The US president has repeatedly tried to draw a line under the Justice Department’s decision not to release a full accounting of the investigation, but politicians from both major political parties, as well as many in Mr Trump’s political base, have refused to drop their interest in the Epstein files.

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and since then, conspiracy theories have swirled about what information investigators gathered on him and who else may have been involved in his crimes.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee initiated the subpoenas for the Clintons last month, as well as demanding all communications between former president Joe Biden’s Democrat administration and the Justice Department about Epstein.

The committee previously issued a subpoena for an interview with Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who had been serving a prison sentence in Florida for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. She was recently transferred to another facility in Texas.

Mr Clinton was among those acquainted with Epstein before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. He has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them.

Mr Clinton previously said, through a spokesperson, that while he travelled on Epstein’s jet, he never visited his homes and had no knowledge of his crimes.

Read more:
All we know about Trump and Epstein’s ‘friendship’

This is a rare escalation

The subpoenaing of former president Bill Clinton is an escalation, both legally and politically.

Historically, it is rare for congressional oversight to demand deposition from former presidents of the United States.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and accomplice, had already been summonsed.

But the House Oversight Committee has now added Bill and Hillary Clinton, several former Attorneys General and former FBI directors to its list.

It signals bipartisan momentum – Democrats voting with Republicans for transparency.

The committee will now hear from several people with known ties to Epstein, his connection with Bill Clinton having been well-documented.

But the subpoenas set up a potential clash between Congress and the Department of Justice.

Donald Trump, the candidate, had vowed to release them. A government led by Mr Trump, the president, chose not to.

If Attorney General Pam Bondi still refuses to release the files, it will fuel claims of a constitutional crisis in the United States.

But another day of Epstein headlines demonstrates the enduring public interest in this case.

The subpoenas give the Justice Department until 19 August to hand over the requested records.

The committee is also asking the former officials to appear for depositions throughout August, September and October, concluding with Hillary Clinton on 9 October and Bill Clinton on 14 October.

Although several former presidents, including Mr Trump, have been issued congressional subpoenas, none has ever appeared before members under compulsion.

Last month, Mr Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release information presented to the grand jury that indicted Maxwell for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.

Continue Reading

US

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ‘seeks pardon from Trump’

Published

on

By

Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'seeks pardon from Trump'

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been in contact with Donald Trump about a pardon, a source close to the rapper’s legal team has told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.

A White House spokesperson said it “will not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request”.

On Tuesday, the rapper was denied bail ahead of his sentencing in October, when he could face up to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of prostitution-related offences.

The sentence will likely be much shorter than that, however.

In July, he was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution – but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking, which carried potential life sentences.

During an interview with news channel Newsmax last Friday, Mr Trump said “they have talked to me about Sean” but did not announce any decision.

Read more:
How the trial unfolded
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New
Image:
Combs reacts after the verdicts are read out in court. File pic: Reuters

The president seemed to cast doubt that he would grant a pardon, however.

“You know, I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great. And seemed like a nice guy, I didn’t know him well,” Trump said. “But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”

“I don’t know,” Trump said. “It makes it more – I’m being honest, it makes it more difficult to do.”

Trump was then asked, “more likely a ‘no’ for Combs?”

Trump responded: “I would say so.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

How the Diddy trial unfolded

Combs, who co-founded Bad Boy Records and launched the career of the late Notorious BIG, was for decades a huge figure in pop culture, as well as a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and business entrepreneur, who presided over an empire ranging from fashion to reality TV.

Now, as well as the criminal conviction, he is also facing several civil lawsuits.

Continue Reading

US

Friends star’s alleged ‘Ketamine Queen’ given trial date

Published

on

By

Friends star's alleged 'Ketamine Queen' given trial date

A woman charged with selling Friends actor Matthew Perry the dose of ketamine that killed him will go on trial next month.

The trial of Jasveen Sangha, allegedly known as the Ketamine Queen, will begin on 23 September after an order from a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday.

She is the only defendant standing trial over Perry’s death after four others reached plea agreements with prosecutors.

The 42-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with five counts of ketamine distribution, including one count of distribution resulting in death.

Sangha’s trial has been postponed four times after her lawyers said they needed longer to go through the prosecution’s evidence and to finish their own investigation

Perry died in his home in October 2023, aged 54, after getting ketamine from his regular doctor for treatment of depression, which is an increasingly common use for the surgical anaesthetic.

The actor was taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, according to court documents.

Read more from Sky News:
Harry criticises report into charity

Reeves told to find ‘substantial’ tax rises

Prosecutors say Perry illegally sought more ketamine from his doctor, Salvador Plasencia, after he wouldn’t give him as much as he wanted.

They allege he then sought more from Sangha, who allegedly presented herself as “a celebrity drug dealer with high-quality goods”.

Perry’s assistant and friend admitted to buying large amounts of ketamine for him from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash, a few days before his death.

Prosecutors allege that purchase included the doses that killed Perry.

Plasencia pleaded guilty to ketamine distribution last month along with Perry’s personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor.

None have been sentenced yet.

Continue Reading

Trending