What was supposed to be the next steps in a peace agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. quickly devolved Friday into a shouting match between the two countries’ leaders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ultimately backed away from a lucrative minerals deal after Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump berated him about not being appreciative of U.S. support during Ukraine’s three-year with Russian invaders.

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) called the meeting a setup between the president and vice president to belittle the president of Ukraine. Costa is a longtime supporter of Ukraine and the European Union and a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I thought the agreement could build upon what we’ve already done,” Costa said. “But to see what appeared to me to be a setup to berate and belittle the president of Ukraine in that meeting at the Oval Office… is unfortunate.”

Trump-Zelenskyy Talks Fall Apart on Live TV

The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.

During his visit to the White House, Zelenskyy was expected to sign the deal allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and hold a joint news conference, but that plan was scrapped after the heated engagement between the leaders in front of the media.

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Vance accused Zelenskyy of campaigning for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ in 2024.

“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump told Zelenskyy.

Trump later said he wants an “immediate” cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine or the U.S. would cut off support.

Costa Thinks Zelenskyy Appreciative of US Support

While Vance and Trump said Zelenskyy was not appreciate of U.S. support, Costa said that was not apparent to him.

“He came all the way to work out this agreement and said ‘thank you,’ and then all of a sudden it went off track, beginning with Vice President Vance,” Costa said.

Costa said the White House’s strategy goes back weeks when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared in Brussels what the negotiation terms would be.

Related Story: Zelenskyy Seeks US Security Backing Amid Landmark Economic Deal

“You don’t do that before you sit down at the table and have negotiations,” Costa said. He added that Trump antagonized Zelenksyy by calling him a dictator and saying Ukraine started the war — two statements not supported by the facts.

Bolton Says Maybe This Is What Trump Wanted

In an interview with MSNBC, former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said Trump could have cut short the vitriolic interview at any point, “which leads people to speculate maybe this is what he wanted.”

Trump and Vance have declared themselves to be on Russia’s side in the Russo-Ukraine war. This is a catastrophic mistake for America’s national security. And let’s be clear: Trump and Vance now personally own that policy. It is not the view of a majority of Americans of… pic.twitter.com/jDGFfh4Wn9

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 28, 2025

Trump called the war unwinnable for Ukraine said a cease-fire would save lives.

Costa said the U.S. should not reward Russia for invading foreign countries.

“If we stand by their side, along with our European allies, Putin cannot win this war, and we should not allow him to do so,” Costa said. “And it’s by those statements it seems to me that President Trump is trying to put his finger on the scale in favor of Russia.”

After the war began, Costa called for “legislative action to designate President Putin as a war criminal for the atrocities he has committed.”

(Associated Press contributed to this article.)