MILWAUKEE — A shouting match broke out between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office Friday.
It happened during their first meeting since Trump took office, and it's an interaction that left local Ukrainians unnerved in Southeast Wisconsin.
"We are infuriated, baffled, maybe scared," said Karina Tweedell, a board member for Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc. "It's really hard to see the President of Ukraine spoken to this way after everything that Ukraine has endured."
The world leaders met Friday hoping to come to an agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals in exchange for security guarantees for Ukraine.
The deal seemingly derailed after the meeting, with President Trump calling President Zelensky ungrateful.
"I was speechless, and I'm still processing this interaction that was so jarring, but the people of Ukraine have been and continue to be so grateful to our elected officials who are standing with Ukraine," said Tweedell.
All of this comes three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and weeks after U.S. leaders held talks with Russian leaders about a peace agreement, without input from Ukraine.
"I would say that it's almost like we are forgetting that Russia is the aggressor here," said Tweedell.
Now, Karina says Ukrainians are worried about what could come next.
Watch: Local Ukrainians react to shouting match between Presidents Trump and Zelensky
"Right now I am aware of quite a few families that are living in fear because they're not certain about what's happening with their status here," she said. "Of course, all of us have loved ones in Ukraine right now who are being bombarded. Literally, air raids are happening on a daily basis. My uncle is in Kyiv now, and it's absolutely heart-wrenching to think about what happens if the aid to Ukraine stops."
A tense exchange between two presidents is now triggering fear and uncertainty among Ukrainians across Wisconsin.
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