Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston to show support for Ukraine after the Oval Office clash, BBC reports.
Pro-Ukraine protests have erupted across the United States following a heated confrontation between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston to show support for Ukraine after the Oval Office clash, BBC reports.
Protesters holding pro-Ukraine signs also lined a road in Waitsfield, Vermont, where Vice President Vance and his family were on a ski holiday.
Vance, who has three young children with his wife, Usha, has not publicly commented on the protests. Due to the demonstrations, the vice president’s family was moved from their planned ski resort to an undisclosed location.
A protest in Waitsfield against the Trump-Vance administration had already been organised earlier in the week—before the White House confrontation—but many protesters referenced the dispute and Russia’s war against Ukraine in their signs and chants.
“I think [Friday’s] performance at the White House has probably galvanized even more people to come out today,” Judy Daly, from Indivisible Mad River Valley, the group that organised the protest, told Vermont Public Radio. “[Vance] crossed the line,” protester Cori Giroux added.
Ahead of the Vance family’s trip, Vermont Governor Phil Scott had urged people to be respectful.
Scott, a Republican who refused to vote for Trump, stated: “I welcome the vice president and his family to Vermont and hope they enjoy their weekend here. It’s no surprise they chose Vermont—we’ve had a lot of snow this winter, which has been good for our economy.
“I hope Vermonters remember the vice president is here on a family trip with his young children, and while we may not always agree, we should be respectful. Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special.”
Meanwhile, counter-protesters supporting Trump and Vance were also reportedly present in Waitsfield.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Trump and Zelenskyy engaged in a heated exchange at the White House, with Trump accusing the Ukrainian leader of refusing to negotiate peace with Russia.
The confrontation, which took place in front of both local and international media, escalated when Trump told Zelenskyy: “You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out, and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
Zelenskyy left shortly afterward, and Trump later posted on social media: “He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
In response, Zelenskyy insisted that he was committed to maintaining a strong relationship with Trump and the United States.
Earlier, European leaders rallied behind Zelenskyy following the clash, with the Ukrainian president calling for stronger U.S. support.
He emphasised that Russia’s aggression was a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
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