White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller stated on Fox News Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has encountered a Western leader in President Donald Trump who will not yield to international pressure.
Following a tense argument over the U.S.’s inaction against Vladimir Putin, Trump abruptly ended Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House, leading to the cancellation of their planned press conference. During an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Miller commended Trump for his resistance to what he termed excessive admiration for Zelenskyy.
“Zelensky for the first time since this has begun finally met a Western leader willing to assert their own interests, the interests of their own country, and not bow down to and venerate this man as a messianic figure. Americans have watched with horror as Zelensky has been treated as a messiah. Our hearts all break for the suffering and loss and death. But you know what would be even worse? World War III. And today President Trump said we are not going to let this escalate into World War III,” Miller said.
Miller stated that Zelenskyy’s behavior marked a serious violation of diplomatic protocol, especially given the presence of U.S. leaders who have been firm supporters of Ukraine during its continuing conflict with Russia. “I don’t think anybody had any idea that Zelensky would be so impertinent, so disrespectful, so insulting to the United States of America, but this is one of the great moments in the history of American diplomacy,” Miller told Watters.
“The way that President Trump and JD Vance stood up for American interests in the world stage, the way that President Trump defended Americans after years of being fleeced and abused and taken advantage of and taken for granted, millions of American hearts swelled with overflowing pride today to watch President Trump put Zelensky in his place,” he added.
Miller noted that the United States has played a crucial role in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, providing significant military aid and experiencing economic repercussions as a consequence. “The only reason that Zelensky has a country, that Zelensky is in power is because of the United States. Americans have suffered economically, funding this war now for years. American security has been degraded, our stockpiles depleted, our ability to project power in other regions of the world negatively affected, to protect and defend Ukraine,” Miller added.
Miller also remarked on Zelenskyy’s demands during their Oval Office meeting, where he urged the U.S. to increase its support to match the levels of European commitment. “Americans probably don’t even know the true extent of just how much military support on multiple levels and fronts America has provided to Ukraine, and then this man shows up in the Oval Office and lectures us, says we have to do more, says we’re not as good as Europe, says that we need to provide them a forever war guarantee, fight Russia until the end of time,” Miller said.
The confrontation escalated when Zelenskyy criticized the U.S. for not stopping Putin’s actions, leading Vance to call Zelenskyy “disrespectful” and accuse him of using the situation for propaganda. Both Vance and Trump confronted Zelenskyy, highlighting his lack of appreciation for U.S. efforts to end the conflict.
In his defense, Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine’s resilience but emphasized the continued need for U.S. support despite his criticisms. The dispute deepened as Trump and Vance pressed Zelenskyy to more openly acknowledge the U.S. contributions and handle diplomatic disagreements more tactfully, rather than airing grievances publicly. Trump later expressed on Truth Social that he believed Zelenskyy was “not ready for peace.”