Moscow took a victory lap Friday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a testy Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The meeting, which turned into a screaming match in which Trump complained that Zelensky was not grateful enough for the United States’s wartime support, prompted a strong reaction out of Russia.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who now serves as the deputy head of the country’s security council, called Zelensky an “insolent pig” on X.
“The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office,” he wrote. “And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII.‘”
Maria Zakharova, director of the information and press department of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the “biggest lie of all his lies” during Zelensky’s sit-down was his claim that Ukraine was alone after it was invaded. On Friday, Zelensky addressed Trump directly, saying, “Mr. President, we are staying in our country—staying strong from the very beginning of the war. We have been alone."
Zakharova wrote in Russian on Telegram that Zelensky was a “bastard,” adding that it was a “miracle of restraint” that Trump and Vance did not hit him as he sat across from them.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, posted on X that Trump and Zelensky’s meeting was “historic.” He later reshared footage posted by Elon Musk that touted how Trump and Vance berated Zelensky.
Leaders across Europe struck a much different tone, with dozens releasing statements expressing support for Ukraine. Trump said in a statement after the meeting Friday that Zelensky, who left without signing a drafted minerals agreement, should not return until he is ready to strike a peace deal.
“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people,” wrote Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament. “Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
Finland’s minister of foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen, echoed the sentiment, writing: “Finland stands with the people and the people’s right to choose. In Ukraine, people have chosen freedom. We stand by Ukraine.”
