Ukraine ‘Desperate’ to Revive Deal After Tense Oval Office Meeting

According to CBS News' Jennifer Jacobs:

High-level Trump sources tell me the White House is now uncertain if they can get the Russians and Ukrainians to stop fighting because this episode with Zelensky raised questions about whether he can move forward toward a peace deal. It also raises questions about whether US will pause aid to Ukraine. But Trump is NOT seeking regime change in Ukraine. No discussions about who in Ukraine might be a better leader than Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian officials have reached out this afternoon to senior White House officials desperate to get the deal back on track. But that will not happen today, I'm told. Trump is unwilling to talk to Zelenskyy further today.

When Rubio and Waltz went into the Roosevelt Room to ask Zelenskyy to leave, Rubio made it clear that any further engagements today would be counterproductive. Waltz told Zelenskyy he had made a tremendous mistake, and it was a grave disservice to Ukraine and to Americans, both.

No phone calls between Trump and Putin have been scheduled. But multiple European officials have called top Trump officials since Zelenskyy left asking how the minerals deal can be salvaged.

Trump fully intended to sign the minerals deal today. Two official binders were prepared -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Ukrainian counterpart and the two presidents were going to sit at a conference table in the East Room and then trumpet their success at podiums.

But there were suspicions before Zelenskyy arrived today that it might fall apart. Because the Trump admin had been pushing for weeks for a minerals deal signing at the ministerial level, and Ukraine had refused. Zelenskyy wanted security guarantees.

US officials thought negotiations would be much harder with **Putin** so today have been been in disbelief that it has been Zelenskyy who has been more difficult, making maximalist demands, sources told me.

When asked if the minerals deal is still on the table, multiple top Trump officials said: Not today.

None of this drama premeditated. Trump officials were incredulous that some media outlets suggested it might have been.

The greeting with Trump and Zelenskyy was warm, with jokes and a guest book signing in the West Wing lobby. They went straight into the Oval and the vibe was positive. White House wanted this deal done today.

Trump believes that Zelenskyy missed out on a huge opportunity to have the US as a business partner, with US companies helping Ukraine monetize mineral resources such as gas, oil, aluminum, tritrium, gallium and others. Trump viewed it as the 1st step in in a progression towards peace.

France's Macron, the UK's Starmer, the sec general of NATO have all been talking to Trump and his team about troop presence in Ukraine, what the security guarantees would look like. But now US officials believe Zelenskyy has put his country in a terrible position, sources told me.

Instead of leaving with the US as a major business partner and all that that status would mean for Ukraine, Trump officials think Zelenskky left looking foolish, without reassuring Ukraine and without assuring American people they'll get to recoup their hundreds of billions, the officials said.

Later, Zelenskyy went on Fox News, where he acknowledged that he 'regretted' what went down - but said he doesn't think he did anything wrong.

"I am not sure we did something bad," he told Baier, adding "I respect president Trump and the American people, but we have to be very honest and direct to understand each other."

Watch video.

Shortly before Zelenskyy appeared on Fox, Trump told the press that Zelenskyy "overplayed his hand."

Watch video.