The planned release of the MLK and RFK assassination files has garnered renewed interest amid fallout from the widely panned release of Epstein files by the Department of Justice on Thursday evening. 

In accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order in January to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the attorney general were expected to release their proposed plan for the declassification of the JFK files on Feb. 7. 

Likewise, in line with the order, the plan to release the RFK and MLK files is expected on March 9. 

The RFK and MLK files’ release plan deadline comes just weeks after the Department of Justice revealed a batch of Jeffrey Epstein files Thursday, with many of the documents already having been released during the federal criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former lover and convicted accomplice. The lack of new material provoked criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files – and questions about what the RFK and MLK documents could hold. 

Gerald Posner, author of ‘Case Closed,’ told Fox News Digital he expects ‘there will be news in there, but it’s not going to be something that turns upside down our understanding of what really happened with those cases.’

After committing earlier this week to release Epstein-related documents sometime Thursday afternoon, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent FBI Director Kash Patel a fiery letter accusing federal investigators in New York of withholding thousands of pages of Epstein documents. 

‘I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents,’ Bondi wrote. ‘Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.’

Bondi said she had previously requested the full Epstein file prior to Patel’s confirmation to head the FBI last week, and had received approximately 200 pages of files – fewer than the number of pages released last year as part of a civil lawsuit connected to Maxwell. 

‘People’s expectations sort of got too high, based upon the executive order that the president signed,’ Posner said on the Epstein file release. 

Bondi said the FBI had never disclosed that those files existed and gave the agency a Friday-morning deadline for the documents to be turned over. 

‘By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained,’ Bondi wrote. ‘There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.’

Patel posted on X on Thursday evening, saying, ‘The FBI is entering a new era – one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.’

Patel stated, ‘There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned – and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them.’

The FBI director also stated that the agency would be bringing ‘everything we find’ to the DOJ to share the information with the American public, ‘as it should be.’ 

Trump’s declassification executive order came after he promised to declassify the documents upon entering his second term while on the campaign trail, saying at the time, ‘When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth.’

Trump had initially promised to release the last batch of documents during his first term, but such efforts ultimately dissipated. Trump then blocked the release of hundreds of records on the assassination, following several CIA and FBI appeals.

Fox News’ David Spunt and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report. 

: President Donald Trump’s refusal to grant a key demand made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy precipitated their explosive confrontation during a live press event at the White House.

A stunned world watched Friday as Vice President JD Vance and Trump reprimanded Zelenskyy in full view of reporters, with cameras rolling. From the moment the Oval Office event started, the dynamic between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart was noticeably different from the two other press events Trump held with world leaders this week. 

According to sources close to Zelenskyy, tempers had flared even before the event began. The Ukrainian president was apparently presented with a minerals for security agreement by the Trump administration prior to the press event, but the deal included no security guarantees to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion. 

Zelenskyy had warned repeatedly ahead of his trip to Washington, D.C., that, in order to reach a mineral agreement, Kyiv needed these security assurances. Even so, he angered Trump and Vance by rejecting the deal, the source said. 

Subsequently, just minutes after reporters asked their first questions, an aggressive spat unfolded between the heads of state that left officials behind the scenes scrambling to understand how the situation fell apart so quickly. 

‘We cannot just sign an … agreement without any substantial guarantees,’ one Ukrainian defense advisor told Fox News Digital. ‘It’s not going to work. It’s just going to reward the aggressor.’

Zelenskyy’s refusal to sign a deal apparently contributed to the ire of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The White House has not confirmed the discussions that occurred ahead of the press event. 

The heated spat unfolded after Trump suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2014 and again in 2022 because Trump wasn’t in office, blaming Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who sat in the Oval Office at the corresponding times.

‘Yeah, that’s exactly right,’ Vance said. 

Zelenskyy pointed out that Russia never stopped attacking Ukraine between 2014 and 2022, four years of which included Trump’s first term. 

‘Nobody stopped him you know,’ Zelenskyy said, adding that Putin repeatedly violated bilateral agreements. 

‘What kind of diplomacy are you … speaking about? What do you mean?’ Zelenskyy asked at the White House after Trump said he was ‘aligned’ with both Russia and Ukraine.

Vance interjected, saying, ‘I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.’

Zelenskyy has repeatedly pointed out that while the U.S. under the Biden administration approved substantial aid to Kyiv, it is Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines to stop Russian aggression that poses a threat to all of Europe and could embolden adversaries like China, North Korea and Iran, which run counter to U.S. interests. 

‘You have nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future,’ he argued. 

An angered Trump said, ‘Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.’

Several House Republicans who support Ukraine were left alarmed after an explosive Oval Office meeting ended with Kyiv’s leader being booted from the White House.

‘The U.S. is now on the wrong side of this war, against freedom,’ Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital. 

Bacon compared President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to Democrats during the Cold War, a time when Republicans were the significantly more hawkish party on Russia.

‘Trump and Vance sound like the Democrats from the 1970s and 1980s. Role reversals. I’m still with Reagan,’ Bacon said.

Another GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely placed blame on both sides, calling the meeting ‘a missed opportunity for both Ukraine and the United States and a big win for Vladimir Putin.’

Zelenskyy was expected to sign a deal with Trump on Friday to give the U.S. access to revenues from Ukraine’s supply of critical minerals. 

But that appears to have skewed off course after the exceptionally testy meeting for both sides, where Trump told Zelenskyy he was acting ‘ungrateful’ for the U.S.’ aid against Russia’s invasion.

‘You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,’ Trump told him. ‘You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country.’

Vance accused Zelenskyy of trying to litigate their issues in front of the U.S. media, adding, ‘Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country, please.’

Zelenskyy shot back, ‘Have you ever been to Ukraine? Have you seen the problems we have? Come once.’

Sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said the meeting left them stunned and concerned for Ukraine’s future.

‘Sane Republicans are pissed,’ a Republican foreign policy source told Fox News Digital. ‘[The Russian government] will break every agreement, cheat, lie, and come right back for everything the minute we look away. If Trump thinks his rapport with Putin will change a thousand years of Russian mindset, he’ll find out the hard way.’

A senior House GOP aide said, ‘What happened in the White House today was a disgrace. We are actively emboldening Putin and ceding U.S. strength and global leadership by turning our backs on Ukraine.’

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote on X without implicating either side more than the other, ‘As someone who fundamentally believes that Russia, China, and Iran are not our friends or allies and continues to believe it is important to support Ukraine, it was extremely short-sighted to engage in that type of exchange in front of the US and international press as you work towards an agreement.’

The vast majority of GOP lawmakers who spoke out publicly, however, praised Trump and Vance.

That includes Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a noted Ukraine supporter, who suggested Zelenskyy may not be the best person to lead the country.

‘Gone are the days of foreign leaders walking all over us and snubbing their noses at America’s generosity. There’s a new President and Vice President in town. World leaders would be wise to humble themselves,’ Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., said in a statement, ‘America won’t be taken advantage of and America won’t be taken for granted. Thank you, President Trump and Vice President Vance for standing up for America.’

A source close to Vance told Fox News Digital after the meeting that the combativeness during the meeting came from Zelenskyy, and that it was ‘unexpected’ by Trump and Vance.

‘The vice president and president did not expect Zelenskyy to engage in such disrespectful behavior,’ the source close to Vance said.

When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the White House pointed to Trump’s statement on the meeting posted to Truth Social.

‘We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,’ Trump wrote. ‘It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.’

But former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a top Trump critic who recently said he’s beginning to identify more with Democrats, wrote on X, ‘Zelenskyy made Trump look like a little b—-.’

European leaders came out with sweeping support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the explosive Oval Office meeting in which President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave harsh reprimands and accused him of being ‘disrespectful.’

Several leaders took to social media to back Ukraine and to remind Washington that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s ‘aggressor,’ not Zelenskyy. 

European Union

The EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, had some of the strongest words of rebuke for Trump and said, ‘We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor.’ 

‘Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader,’ she added.  ‘It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.’

France

‘There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine,’ said French President Emmanuel Macron, who just met with Trump this week in Washington, D.C. ‘We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago — and to keep doing so.’ 

‘By ‘we,’ I mean the Americans, the Europeans, the Canadians, the Japanese, and many others,’ he added.  

United Kingdom

Though U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer, who also met with Trump this week, has remained publicly silent following the geopolitical fallout, the leader of the U.K.’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, showed her support for Ukraine.

‘Respectable diplomacy is essential for peace,’ she said in a post on X. ‘We need to remember that the villain is the war criminal President Putin who illegally invaded another sovereign country – Ukraine. 

‘A divided West only benefits Russia,’ she continued. ‘Any peace agreement must be negotiated with Ukraine at the table, and will need security guarantees. We cannot lose sight of the fact that tonight air raid sirens are sounding in Ukraine.’

Norway

‘What we saw from the White House today is serious and disheartening,’ Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement, according to Reuters. ‘Ukraine still needs the U.S.’s support, and Ukraine’s security and future are also important to the U.S. and to Europe.’ 

‘That Trump accuses Zelenskyy of gambling with World War III is deeply unreasonable and a statement I distance myself from,’ he said. ‘Norway stands with Ukraine in their struggle for freedom.’ 

Poland

‘Dear Zelenskyy, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,’ said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.

Germany

Germany’s new conservative leader, incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has said he seeks ‘independence’ from the U.S., said, ‘Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.’

Notably, nations that typically stand strong with Trump, like Turkey’s Recep Erdogan and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, did not release a public statement following the day’s events. 

Russia

Russian officials, however, did voice their support for how the day unfolded.

Former Russian President and current deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, took to X to call Zelenskyy an ‘insolent pig’ and claimed he ‘finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.’ 

‘And Donald Trump is right: The Kyiv regime is ‘gambling with WWIII’,’ he added. 

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threw his weight behind Ukraine as well and said, ‘Russia illegally and unjustifiably invaded Ukraine.’

‘For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience,’ he added, suggesting NATO allies may back Kyiv over Washington. ‘Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all. Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace.’ 

The Justice Department’s rollout of the Epstein files on Thursday and Friday drew heated criticism from many on social media from those expressing dismay at the level of detail of the files and the time it took to release them.

The highly anticipated release of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday did not include a ‘client list’ or any new startling information, and speculation continued into Friday with the Justice Department saying that some of the documents were still being tracked down.

Many conservatives took to social media to express frustration and disappointment with the rollout over the past couple of days. 

‘I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook,’ Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., posted on X. ‘THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!’

‘The fact that the Epstein files haven’t yet been released demonstrates that the President doesn’t yet have operational control of the DOJ and FBI,’ Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted on X on Friday morning. ‘It could take a while to establish, or as with his first term, it might never be established.’

Many on social media also took issue with the presence of several conservative influencers at the White House who were pictured outside holding binders that said ‘The Epstein Files Phase 1,’ suggesting that new information had been released. 

‘Pam Bondi: ‘We’re releasing the first of the Epstein files tomorrow.’ Americans: ‘Cool! Then we’ll get to read them?’ Bondi: ‘Well actually you’ll get to see fun little photo shoots of conservative personalities & influencers holding a binder!’’ Daily Signal investigative columnist Tony Kinnett posted on X.

‘Not interested in some big theatrical rollout of the Epstein files, if they even exist anymore,’ conservative commentator Matt Walsh posted on X. ‘Put them online for everyone to see. Hold a press conference to walk us through it. There’s a time for showmanship and a time to be direct and boring. This is definitely the latter.’

‘The most likely outcome of the ‘Epstein Files’ has always been that it’s mostly stuff we already knew and nothing truly game-changing,’ Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. ‘That’s even more true for the JFK files. If that’s the case, just admit it and move on. Stop hyping this crap up and then not delivering.’

Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel which explained the delay in the release of the documents and placed blame on an FBI field office in New York. 

Bondi said she had requested the full Epstein case file before Patel was confirmed as the head of the FBI and received about 200 pages of files — far fewer than the number of pages released last year in a civil lawsuit connected to Ghislaine Maxwell, the trafficker’s former lover and convicted accomplice.

‘I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents,’ Bondi wrote. ‘Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.’

‘By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained,’ Bondi added. ‘There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.’

As of Friday afternoon, no new files had been released. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment. 

‘What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information,’ Bondi said on Fox News on Wednesday night when asked about the type of information that would be released Thursday. ‘But, it’s pretty sick what that man did, along with his co-defendant.’

Many defended Bondi against accusations of a botched document rollout, including DOGE chief Elon Musk.

‘People don’t understand that you don’t get instant power here,’ Musk posted on X in response to a post defending Bondi for being in a position of ‘fighting against a leftist culture.’

Patel addressed the situation late Thursday in a post on X. 

‘The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice,’ Patel wrote. 

‘There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.’

Fox News Digital’s Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.

Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of national intelligence, thanked President Donald Trump Friday for his ‘unwavering leadership’ after his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day. 

‘Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership in standing up for the interests of the American people, and peace,’ Gabbard wrote on X Friday evening, hours after the fiery exchange. 

‘What you said is absolutely true: Zelensky has been trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia/WW3 for years now, and no one has.’ 

Tensions increased during the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a ‘bad position’ at the negotiating table. 

‘You’re playing cards,’ Trump said. ‘You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.’

After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means ‘everybody has problems, even you,’ adding the U.S. would feel the war ‘in the future.’

‘Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,’ Trump responded. ‘We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.’

Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a press conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned. 

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for America’s help after the meeting.

‘Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,’ he wrote on X. ‘Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.’ 

The Ukrainian president told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview after the meeting he believes Ukrainian-U.S. ties can be salvaged.

‘Yes, of course, because it’s relations more than two presidents,’ he said in the exclusive interview on ‘Special Report.’ ‘It’s the historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that’s why I always began … to thank your people from our people.

‘Of course, thankful to the president and, of course, to Congress,’ he said, ‘But, first of all, to your people … we wanted very much to have all this strong relations and where it counted. We will have it.’

Zelenskyy said he was ‘not sure we did something bad’ when asked about the heated exchange but conceded the dustup was ‘bad for both sides.’

Trump also received support from Republicans like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Trump was ‘standing up for America,’ while Democrats like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly wrote on X, ‘To be clear, the only winner in this shouting match in the Oval Office is Putin. Almost can’t believe this happened.’ 

During a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova appeared distraught with her head in her hand.

The moment was captured in a number of viral photos and videos as Trump questioned Zelenskyy about not wanting a ceasefire with Russia at a live White House press event.

As shaky microphones hovered above the spatting leaders, Markarova lowered her head to her right hand and closed her eyes.

President Trump addressed Zelenskyy, saying, ‘You’re saying you don’t want a ceasefire. I want a ceasefire because you get a ceasefire faster than an agreement.’

The Ukrainian president chimed in, ‘I said to you … with guarantees. Ask our people about [a] ceasefire, [about] what they think.’

Trump starkly halted the conversation, saying ‘that wasn’t with me.’

The leaders were expected to sign a deal sharing Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and discuss a peace deal with Russia when the conversation turned contentious.

After questions were posed by Zelenskyy about diplomacy, Vice President JD Vance reprimanded him for ‘try[ing] to litigate’ in front of the American media, calling his actions ‘disrespectful.’ 

‘Do you think that it’s respectful to come into the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country,’ Vance asked Zelenskyy.

Sources close to Zelenskyy noted tensions were high prior to the meeting, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Zelenskyy reportedly rejected the mineral security agreement before Friday’s meeting due to the absence of security guarantees protecting Ukraine from another Russian invasion. 

Even though the Ukrainian president warned he would need those assurances to sign the deal, sources said the dismissal angered Trump and Vance.

Just minutes after reporters asked their first questions, the heated disagreement unfolded.

Reporters watched in shock as the meeting came to an abrupt halt, and Zelenskyy was rushed out of the White House.

Minutes later, Trump posted to Truth Social, saying, ‘President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE.’

Zelenskyy subsequently posted to X, thanking America and Trump for their support and allowing the visit.

‘Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,’ he wrote in the post.

Markarova was ambassador for roughly a year when Russia invaded Ukraine, thrusting her into the spotlight.

In September, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a letter to Zelenskyy seeking Markarova’s firing after she allegedly organized a U.S. taxpayer-funded tour of an American manufacturing site for Zelenskyy in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Johnson, R-La., said the tour ‘purposely excluded’ Republicans, calling it ‘election interference.’ 

‘The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris and failed to include a single Republican because — on purpose — no Republicans were invited,’ Johnson wrote in the letter.

He said the ‘shortsighted and intentionally political move’ prompted Republicans to ‘lose trust’ in Markarova’s ability to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat.

‘She should be removed from her post immediately,’ Johnson wrote.

The Embassy of Ukraine to the United States of America did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

In the chaotic aftermath of an explosive Oval Office press conference Friday with President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his frustration with the administration began after it issued a series of controversial comments in the five weeks after Trump’s inauguration.

‘It’s not about [being] mad,’ Zelenskyy told Fox News’ Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier on ‘Special Report.’ 

‘[When you hear] president, vice president or somebody or senators — doesn’t matter, big politicians — when they, for example, say that Ukraine is almost destroyed, that our soldiers run away, that they are not a heroes, that Ukraine lost millions of civilians, that his president is dictator.

‘The reaction is that, where is our friendship between Ukraine and United States?’

Zelenskyy said it was important that Ukraine, the U.S. and Europe maintain their great partnership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. 

But when asked if he feels he should apologize for the heated discussions that erupted in the Oval Office, which began after Vance accused Zelenskyy of being ‘disrespectful,’ the Ukrainian leader said ‘no.’

‘I respect the president, and I respect the American people,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure that we did something bad.’

Zelenskyy argued that important issues need to be discussed thoroughly and warned Trump, ‘Don’t trust Putin.’

Zelenskyy noted again that security guarantees, which caused the blowup in the Oval Office Friday, are not an issue he can disregard because the threat of another Russian invasion is too great. 

Zelenskyy also reiterated he would be willing to step down as president so long as Ukraine was given NATO membership. 

‘We want just and lasting peace. It’s true. We want security guarantees,’ he said. ‘If [the] United States will support NATO … I think that is enough for Ukraine.’

Trump, after speaking with Putin earlier this month, began pushing the idea that Ukraine should hold elections, claiming Zelenskyy has little support among the Ukrainian public. 

But under Ukraine’s constitution, it cannot hold elections when Martial Law is in effect during a time of war.

The Trump administration’s efforts to broker a peace negotiation ending the war in Ukraine came to a halt Friday following a testy exchange between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The encounter ultimately led to a canceled press conference, Trump requesting Zelenskyy to leave the White House, and the failure to sign a rare-earth minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine that would have allowed the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals. 

Tensions escalated in the Oval Office after Zelenskyy challenged Vance, who said that the path forward was through diplomacy. Instead, Zelenskyy issued a caution and noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken other agreements in the past. 

‘What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?’ Zelenskyy said. ‘What do you mean?’

In response, Vance said: ‘I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.’

‘Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,’ Vance told Zelenskyy. ‘Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country.’

Trump also snapped at Zelenskyy and warned him that Ukraine was in ‘big trouble’ and was ‘gambling with World War III.’ 

Following the encounter, Trump announced a pause to peace negotiations and said that Zelenskyy could return to the White House when he was ‘ready for Peace.’ Additionally, Zelenskyy left the White House without signing the minerals deal. 

‘I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,’ Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. ‘I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.’

Zelenskyy also followed up with a social media post on X expressing gratitude to the U.S. for its support. 

‘Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.’

Despite the fallout from the meeting, Zelenskyy told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Friday that the relationship between Ukraine and the U.S. could be salvaged. 

Here’s what else happened at the White House this week:

Large-scale reductions in force 

The Trump administration also sent a memo instructing agencies across the federal government to launch plans for ‘large-scale reductions in force’ and construct reorganization plans by mid-March. 

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management sent a memo on Wednesday ordering agencies to prepare to cut staffers and share reorganization plans by March 13. 

‘The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt,’ the memo said. ‘At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public.’

Several federal government roles are exempt from the order, including those ‘necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities,’ according to the memo. 

First Cabinet meeting

Trump held his second administration’s first meeting with Cabinet members Wednesday, where he shared plans to massively cut the Environmental Protection Agency and seek to retrieve military equipment left in Afghanistan. 

Trump revealed that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is eyeing cutting 65% of federal employees from the agency.

‘I spoke with Lee Zeldin, and he thinks he’s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from Environmental, and we’re going to speed up the process too at the same time,’ Trump said. ‘He had a lot of people that weren’t doing their job, they were just obstructionists, and a lot of people that didn’t exist.’

Trump also shared that he wanted back the military equipment U.S. troops left behind when withdrawing from Afghanistan, but didn’t share plans on how the U.S. would retrieve the equipment. 

‘We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks,’ Trump said Wednesday. ‘You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America … that’s all the top of the line stuff. I think we should get a lot of that equipment back.’

The Taliban seized most of the more than $7 billion worth of equipment U.S. troops left in Afghanistan at the time of the withdrawal in August 2021, according to a Department of Defense report released in 2022.

English official US language 

Trump signed an executive order Friday mandating English as the official language of the U.S. The order eradicates a previous mandate from President Bill Clinton in 2000 requiring federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to issue language assistance to those who don’t speak English. 

The executive order allows each federal agency to determine whether it will offer services in languages besides English. 

The U.S. is an anomaly in that it has never had an official language, whereas roughly 180 countries out of the 195 countries in the world have official languages, a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.