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New book alleges Scott Bessent hurled insults at Zelensky and urged Trump to bar Oval Office meeting
How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
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First reported by Mako · Jun 22, 2026
What happened
A new book claims Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent privately insulted Volodymyr Zelensky and urged Donald Trump to block him from the Oval Office unless Ukraine accepted a minerals deal. The book also describes a 45-minute shouting match in Kyiv and the later Trump-Zelensky White House clash on Feb. 28, 2025.
- 01Bessent allegedly called Zelensky “a little prick” and urged Trump not to host him.
- 02The book says Bessent pushed Kyiv to sign a Treasury-written minerals deal.
- 03It describes a 45-minute shouting match between Bessent and Zelensky in Kyiv.
- 04The claims come from “Regime Change,” by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
- 05The White House clash with Trump and JD Vance took place on Feb. 28, 2025.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
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