Amid the heated discussion on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, cameras captured one particular moment that illustrated the situation: Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, was burying her face in her hands—a moment that quickly went viral on social media:
Ukraine's ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova's reaction to the clash between Trump and Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/jva0QWJnHB
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 28, 2025
The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump grew particularly contentious when Vice President Vance criticized the Ukrainian for discussing security guarantees rather than temporary truces publicly.
"Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance said. Zelensky attempted to interject, but Trump interrupted, stating, "You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have."
Throughout the exchange, Markarova's visible reaction—placing her hands on her face in apparent distress—was captured on video and widely shared online. CNN's Kaitlan Collins posted the image on X (formerly Twitter), where it quickly gained hundreds of thousands of views.
The Ukrainian ambassador had her head in her hands by this point. pic.twitter.com/AhnsgWbqOb
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 28, 2025
Trump also used the meeting to highlight a minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, stating that access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals would benefit American industries, including artificial intelligence and military production.
Zelensky acknowledged the agreement's economic potential but pushed back against Trump's assertion that Europe had done less than the U.S. in supporting Ukraine. The meeting concluded with Trump declaring, "This is going to be great television," before exiting. The agreement was ultimately not signed and Zelensky was asked to leave the White House along with the Ukrainian delegation after the exchange.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
