Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Hundreds of protesters in Vermont rallied against Vice President JD Vance on Saturday who’s in the state for a family ski trip following his and President Donald Trump’s tense White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the previous day.Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.Why It MattersWhat was expected to be a diplomatic discussion on U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and potential security assurances for Ukraine instead escalated into a confrontation, with Trump and Vance chastising Zelensky on Friday over what they perceived as his lack of gratitude for American support amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.The unprecedented Oval Office meeting has drawn widespread attention, with some Trump supporters praising him, others expressing concern, and many international leaders and Democrats criticizing the president and voicing support for Zelensky. Meanwhile, Saturday’s protest shows that many others feel strongly about this issue and want to make it known.What To KnowIn several posts on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, photos and videos show hundreds of protesters in Waitsfield, Vermont, on Saturday morning rallying against Vance, who is visiting the town with his family for a ski trip, over his and Trump’s tense meeting with Zelensky.According to NPR’s local station, Vermont Public, in a post on X, a video shows protesters holding up signs, with Judy Daly of Indivisible Mad River Valley, a grassroots organization committed to saving democracy, showing her support for Ukraine.”This is a group of people who has always been supportive of standing with Ukraine. However, I think yesterday’s performance at the White House has probably galvanized even more people to come out today,” she said, per Vermont Public.In the videos posted to social media, several protesters are seen wearing Ukraine’s colors of yellow and blue and holding Ukrainian flags.Hundreds of protesters gathered in Waitsfield on Saturday morning to protest Vice President JD Vance, who is visiting Vermont with his family for a ski trip this weekend. pic.twitter.com/gICcSJBU2a— Vermont Public (@vermontpublic) March 1, 2025
Chris D. Jackson, a political strategist, took to X to also share photos of the protest.”After torpedoing yesterday’s meeting with Zelensky, JD Vance fled to Vermont for vacation—only to be met by hundreds of furious protesters. Couldn’t have happened to a better guy!” he wrote.The protest comes as the U.S. has been a critical ally for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion just over three years ago. According to German-based think tank the Kiel Institute, the U.S. has spent just under $120 billion on Ukraine between early 2022 and December 2024. The Defense Department has put the total support for the war effort at nearly $183 billion, which includes military training in Europe and the replenishment of U.S. defense stockpiles.Under the Biden administration, Zelensky was a close U.S. ally. Since taking office, however, Trump has called him a “dictator,” falsely claimed Ukraine started the war, and without evidence said Zelensky is deeply unpopular in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28 in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28 in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
What Happened in Zelensky’s White House Meeting?The White House meeting was a striking exchange of open antagonism in the Oval Office, a space typically reserved for formal diplomacy, especially among U.S. allies. Trump made clear his pressure on Zelensky to agree to a deal securing U.S. interests in Ukraine’s valuable minerals and to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the war on his terms.During the meeting Trump and Vance had criticized Zelensky for what they saw as a lack of appreciation for U.S. aid, with Trump accusing him of “gambling with World War III.” Vance also told Zelensky that diplomacy was the path to peace, to which the Ukrainian leader responded by pointing out Russia’s repeated violations of ceasefire agreements.”He killed our people, and he didn’t exchange prisoners,” Zelensky said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about? What do you mean?”Vance, a vocal skeptic of continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, pushed back. “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” he said, later telling Zelensky, “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media right now.”At that point, tensions boiled over, with Trump raising his voice at the Ukrainian leader. “You’re gambling with World War III,” he said. “And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country—this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.”Trump went on to suggest that Zelensky was not appreciative enough of U.S. military and financial aid, telling him, “You’re not acting at all thankful, and that’s not a nice thing.”Trump later said that Zelensky had “disrespected” the U.S. and declared on Truth Social that the Ukrainian leader “is not ready for Peace.”The mineral deal was not signed and the discussion of a path forward was cut short. Zelensky left the White House early and a press conference scheduled to take place after the meeting was canceled.What People Are SayingProtester Cori Giroux told Vermont Public on Saturday: “After what he [Vance] did yesterday, he crossed the line.”Protester Ginny Sassaman told Vermont Public on Saturday: “Then after the meeting yesterday with Zelensky, I mean I feel like all of America should be out here protesting.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X on Friday: “President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing up for the American people.”Former national security adviser John Bolton, a Trump critic, wrote on X on Friday: “Trump has put the US on the wrong side of the Russia-Ukraine war and it’s shameful. He is every day making it more and more difficult to pull the West back together. After his term, the U.S. will need to convince our allies that we are dependable and still a nation of normal people.”President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Friday: “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. 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.”President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on Friday: “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”Former Wyoming GOP Representative Liz Cheney, a Trump critic, wrote on X on Friday: “Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day—when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”What Happens Next?A joint press conference was canceled following the blow-up between Trump and Zelensky, leaving the future of relations between the two countries uncertain.Zelensky arrived in the United Kingdom on Saturday for talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he looks to shore up support from other allies.
