Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has left the White House early after diplomatic talks with US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance broke down in a fiery, televised clash.
President Trump afterwards told reporters that he wants to see an immediate ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, while Mr Zelenskyy has acknowledged he regrets the Oval Office altercation but fell short of saying he intends to apologise.
You can follow all of the rolling updates in our live blog below.
Key Events
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Australian opposition remains 'fully supportive of Ukraine': Angus Taylor
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Where is Volodymyr Zelenskyy now?
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Rubio demands Zelenskyy apologise after 'openly undermining' Trump talks
WATCH: Trump's clash with Volodymyr Zelenskyy
If you're just joining us and wondering what has unfolded in Washington, DC, today — here's a quick rundown:
As we've been reporting already today, there has been an unprecedented breakdown of diplomatic discussions, including a spate of fiery words between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance.
During that altercation, Mr Trump accused Mr Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War III" and said he had "no cards" to play in the conflict with Russia without US support.
While Mr Zelenskyy questioned the diplomacy of the US by saying: "Putin broke the ceasefire. What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?", the vice-president responded heatedly with: "I think it's disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media."
Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump then repeatedly shouted over each other, with Mr Trump telling the Ukrainian president that he was losing the war.
The US president also threatened to withdraw American military support from Ukraine.
"You're either going to make a deal, or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty," he said.
'A bad day in the White House but not the end of the story': Ukraine foreign policy expert
I've been chatting with a resident expert in Shelby Magid from the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center based in Washington DC.
She said while today's dire turn of events were painful to watch, she's hopeful the US-Ukrainian relationship can be salvaged.
"Yikes. This was a bad day in the White House but it's not the end of the story," she said.
"Unfortunately the only one that benefited from this blow up with Vladimir Putin.
"Unfortunately today's talks made out as if Ukraine is the biggest obstacle to peace when it is Russia that is the biggest obstacle."
"Zelenskyy seemed to be genuinely trying to show the Trump administration Ukraine's perspective. But that's not what he needed to emphasise in that moment. Instead he would have been better off focusing on the shared goal of the US-Ukraine relationship."
Ms Magid said the language barrier that was clear in President Zelenskyy's efforts to speak in English was another obstacle that didn't help the diplomatic spat.
Ultimately though, she said this was a breakdown in communication on all sides.
Where does this leave Australia as a defence ally?
Another audience question we received:
"When Trump says that he's not aligned with anybody, where does that leave Australia as defence ally of the US?"
Shelby Magid from the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center says ultimately Australia shouldn't panic.
She says the golden rule with Donald Trump is not believe every word he says.
"Frankly, Trump says a lot of things, and one comment doesn't make policy so I would say that our alliances and our defense partners are strategic and have a lot that go into it.
"Trump makes his own decisions and no one's going to sway him but it doesn't mean that everything is going to change on what partnerships we already have in place, because we have those partnerships in place for a reason.
"He says a lot of words and contradicts himself and changes his opinion. We learnt this during the first Trump administration. Just because he says one thing doesn't mean its policy."
Ukrainians in Australia protest in Sydney
Members of the Ukrainian community have gathered in Sydney to protest against Trump's treatment of Zelenkskyy.
About 50 people gathered on the steps of Town Hall, waving Ukrainian flags and holding signs accusing Mr Trump of being a "bully" and "Putin's puppet".
They called on Australia to hold fast in its support of Ukraine.
Organiser Anton Bogdanovych said Australians would feel the way Ukrainians felt if the Australian prime minister was treated the same as Zelenskyy was.
(ABC News)
'Trump's treatment of Zelenskyy was like a mafia shakedown': Former US diplomat
The United States's former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO, John Townsend, has come out swinging against the Trump administration in light of today's Oval Office meltdown.
“It's been a tough thing to watch as an American, you know, watching the Brits and … all others react to this embarrassing exchange and toxicity that we saw unfold," Mr Townsend said.
“A lot of people are saying that this was set up. I said it was definitely theatre that, at the very end, I understand Trump said something like, ‘This is going to make great TV.'
"He also said that he was glad this is happening in front of the cameras so that the American people could see what what's going on.
"He was glad that he was being filmed and he took full advantage of that by being a tough guy.
“I think a lot of the upset was the way in which they talked to [Mr Zelenskyy] in the Oval Office, of all places, to a head of state and government.
"This looked like some kind of mafia shakedown. You better do this. You better sign this or, you know, it was just the rudeness of it.
"It was really … bad the American leadership looked to the world and how ashamed we should be that our leaders act that way.”
You can watch more of Mr Townsend's commentary about the altercation in the White House, here:
Australian opposition remains 'fully supportive of Ukraine': Angus Taylor
Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has been speaking in Sydney on behalf of the federal Coalition and was just asked about whether an elected government under Peter Dutton would continue to support Ukraine, regardless of any potential changes in position from the Trump administration.
This is how he answered:
"We're fully supportive of the Ukraine at this time.
"This was an illegal invasion by Russia. That is our position. That will continue to be our position.
"We do all want to see the end of this war. I think that is something that is in everybody's interests, but the starting point is that this was an illegal invasion of Ukraine and that Russia was in the wrong.
"That's an important starting point and we will not veer from that position."
Minerals deal could be 'leverage' to salvaging relationship
Given how unpredictable Donald Trump is, Shelby Magid from the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center says she's confident the pendulum can swing back to restore diplomatic ties with Ukraine.
Ultimately, the man loves a deal and, while the Oval Office clash has cast doubt on the critical minerals agreement between the two nations, it's not completely out of the question.
"The minerals deal is a strong point of leverage that Ukraine has over the US," Ms Magid said.
"If the Ukrainians can reassess their approach to the Trump White House, it could be put back on the table.
"Ukraine can come back from this. They'll be able to smooth this over, and I'm sure we'll see some apologies happening behind closed doors."
Donald Trump had said a deal could be America's way of earning back some of the money it had given to Ukraine in the form of financial aid and weaponry to help fight Russia.
You can read more about the deal here.
Putin would be 'pleased' with heated clash, expert says
Jessica Genauer, a senior lecturer in international relations at Flinders University, says Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "quite pleased" with the interactions between the leaders.
"It is showing President Trump is publicly and quite clearly aligning himself and pushing for what would be in Russia's interests, so essentially the type of deal he is talking about in terms of political settlement is one that will greatly advantage Russia in terms of territorial control," she told News Channel.
"But also the way President Zelenskyy is being treated with quite a lack of respect, lack of protocol, is something again President Putin would be quite pleased to see as he himself would also not consider Ukraine to be an equal player with the United States or Russia."
Zelenskyy goes on thanking spree after accusations of ingratitude
Underpinning what turned into an acrimonious exchange of words at the Oval House today was the US president and vice-president's accusation that Zelenskyy had been ungrateful for the billions in military aid Washington provided to Kyiv.
"You've got to be more thankful," Trump told Zelenskyy.
"You didn't say thank you," US Vice-President JD Vance added.
In light of those comments, the Ukrainian president has gone on something of a thanking spree on social media.
This was the first tweet directly in reference to the US this morning:
Since then Zelenskyy has made 32 posts (yes 32), thanking various world leaders and politicians for their support.
Should Australia be prepared for a possible escalation?
Is Australia prepared for the possibility of escalation? If the US is supporting Russia, how will we be impacted?
– Brittany
Hello Brittany, thank you for your question.
I put this one to Shelby Magid, the deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Here's her take:
"I would argue with the premise that the US is supporting Russia, because yes we've seen some troubling indications about the US engagement with Russia, but we're not supporting Russia in their global aggression.
"Yes, we voted on the same side as Russia in the UN but that's toothless. That doesn't mean actually supporting Russia in their acts against the world, because that would hurt our own interests.
"So I don't think Australia needs to worry in that regard."
Earlier this week, the US joined with Russia and North Korea in voting against a UN resolution that blamed Russia for the war in Ukraine and demanded the immediate withdrawal of its troops.
Where is Volodymyr Zelenskyy now?
We've been receiving some of your questions about the current location of Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
As we reported about two hours ago, Mr Zelenskyy appeared live on the US Fox News desk in Washington, DC for an interview amid the fallout from his fiery run-in with US President Donald Trump.
As far as we've been informed, the Ukrainian president is still in the United States.
We'll let you know if we find out any more about his movements.
Rubio demands Zelenskyy apologise after 'openly undermining' Trump talks
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has just spoken exclusively to CNN, calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "apologise for turning this thing into a fiasco" for Donald Trump.
"There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic," Rubio said.
"The war needs to come to an end. We are trying to bring it to an end. The way you bring it to an end is you get Russia to the table, to talk, and he understands that."
Rubio defended President Trump's outburst at Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian leader had forced Trump into a position "trying to goad him into attacking Putin".
"You start to perceive that maybe Zelenskyy doesn’t want a peace deal. That act of open undermining of efforts to bring about peace is deeply frustrating for everyone who has been involved in communications with them leading up to today."
Asked why the US didn't see Zelenskyy's distrust about Russian President Vladimir Putin upholding any ceasefire agreements as valid, Rubio said Trump was a "dealmaker who has made deals his entire life".
"He’s not going to get suckered into some deal that’s not a real deal. We all understand this.
"We have to explore whether peace is possible … I don’t know, I think it is, based on what they’ve said so far. But we have to explore that."
What leverage does the US have over Russia?
Trump demands immediate ceasfire but what leverage over Russia does the US have?
– Dee
Thanks for your question, Dee.
I've put this question to the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center deputy director, Shelby Magid, who focuses on Ukrainian foreign policy.
Here's what she said:
"It's a good question because we talk a lot about leverage over Ukraine, but not Russia.
"We still have more that we can give Ukraine, militarily, economically, etc. There's still more sanctions and pain that can be put on the Russians and Putin also can go further into isolation.
"But at the same time, I don't think Putin wants a ceasefire so I think further discussions with the Russians will make that apparent to Trump.
"We can also support Ukraine to make the war more painful for Russia. But there's no, it's not an easy on off switch for the war."
Where is Donald Trump now?
If you're wondering where Donald Trump is going next, we've got eyes on the US president.
As I told you a little while ago, the president was seen departing Washington on-board Marine One at the Joint Base Andrews military facility, destined for his Mar-A-Lago estate.
We're just now seeing the first images flow through that confirm he's now landed in West Palm Beach, Florida, and has departed his presidential aircraft, Air Force One.
(Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
(Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
US may end all ongoing shipments of military aid to Ukraine — report
The Washington Post is reporting that plans to cut off all US military aid to Ukraine are under consideration, citing senior Trump administration officials.
"The decision, if taken, would apply to billions of dollars of radars, vehicles, ammunition and missiles awaiting shipment to Ukraine through the presidential drawdown authority, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic," the report says.
President Donald Trump didn't confirm this proposition when directly asked about it outside the White House earlier today.
'Trump outburst came after weeks of Ukraine frustrations': Reuters
The Reuters news service is reporting that it has been told by multiple sources that US President Donald Trump's stunning clash with Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not come out of nowhere.
Frustration has mounted inside the White House in recent weeks, particularly as Trump officials have attempted to negotiate the critical minerals deal with Ukraine, according to the sources .
In recent weeks, the Republican president has told his closest advisers that he does not like the way in which Zelenskyy has tried to drum up US support for Ukraine, claiming he has used showmanship to try and win points with the media and Congress.
Trump also spoke to his national security team about the future of Zelenskyy's time in office — and whether the US could force elections in Ukraine through peace negotiations, according to two sources.
The Republican president has also directed his team to limit communications as much as possible with Zelenskyy's top aide Andriy Yermak, who had held a close working relationship with former Democratic president Joe Biden's security adviser Jake Sullivan.
'Albanese's response to Oval Office clash aligns him with global leaders'
As we reported a little while earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered his reaction to the scenes at the White House today.
"We stand with Ukraine," Mr Albanese said.
"We will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, because this is the struggle of a democratic nation versus an authoritarian regime led by Vladimir Putin, who clearly has imperialistic designs not just on Ukraine but throughout that region.
"I tell you how you get peace in Ukraine quickly, which is Russia stopping it's illegal and immoral invasion and Russia stopping the attacks on civilians, on civil infrastructure, engaging in this act of aggression that they have engaged in now for three years."
My ABC colleague and political reporter Tom Lowrey has taken a good look at those comments from the prime minister and what they mean for him as a leader, given the United States and President Donald Trump is one of Australia's biggest international allies.
"His comments are in line with much of what you've heard from other world leaders who have also given their support to Ukraine," Lowrey told the ABC's News Channel.
You can watch his complete coverage, here:
Recap: Zelenskyy's reflections on fiery Oval Office exchange
My ABC colleague Heloise Vyas reported earlier that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had spoken for the first time since his heated exchange with US President Donald Trump.
In an interview televised by US network Fox News, Mr Zelenskyy said he regretted how his meeting with Mr Trump unfolded, and said that his country was ready for peace.
You can listen back to some more of what the Ukrainian president had to say, here:
ANALYSIS: Inside the extraordinary Oval Office showdown that could cost Ukraine its future
Within just 50 minutes, the world watched the relationship between Ukraine and the United States disintegrate.
There was little nice about this meeting.
Usually, diplomacy is played carefully to not embarrass the parties involved. There was no such concern here.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to the White House knowing full well the high stakes involved. He came to Washington hoping to walk away with a minerals deal and concrete security guarantees for his beleaguered people.
He left with neither.
Russian drones strike Ukraine while world's focus is on US talks
While much of the world's focus today has been on Washington, the war in Ukraine has continued being waged by Russian forces.
Russian drones have struck a medical facility and other targets in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, injuring at least five people, according to local officials.
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a post on the Telegram platform that eight Russian drones had hit civilian areas in three central districts of the city, which has been a frequent target of Russian attacks during the three-year-old war.
Mr Syniehubov said five people were hurt, while Mayor Ihor Terekhov put the injury toll at seven.
Mr Syniehubov also said more than 50 people were evacuated from the medical facility and emergency crews were bringing under control a fire triggered by the strike.
He said dozens of buildings were damaged, with windows shattered in an apartment building, a car dealership and a hypermarket.
Meanwhile, in the Black Sea port of Odesa — another frequent Russian target in southern Ukraine — a drone attack triggered fires in a private home and a business, killing one person and injuring another.