Protests broke out across the United States on Saturday following a tense confrontation between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the White House.

According to The Guardian, the clash, which occurred on Friday, prompted hundreds of demonstrators to gather in cities such as Waitsfield, Vermont, New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, expressing their support for Ukraine and condemning the actions of Trump and Vance.

The protests were initially planned to coincide with Vance’s visit to Vermont for a ski trip with his family. However, tensions from the Oval Office meeting earlier in the week fuelled further participation.

The Guardian reported that demonstrators in Vermont, including members of the grassroots group Indivisible, held signs reading “Vermont stands with Ukraine” and “International embarrassment,” while many waved Ukrainian flags in solidarity.

“After what he did yesterday, he crossed the line,” protester Cori Giroux told Vermont Public Radio.

The protest in Vermont took place despite a call from Republican Governor Phil Scott for residents to be respectful towards Vance during his visit.

Vance, who admitted to never having visited Ukraine, reportedly fled to an undisclosed location to avoid the protesters.

The Oval Office meeting, during which Trump told Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire with Russia or risk losing US support, was widely criticised.

Trump also accused Zelenskyy of not showing enough gratitude for US military aid and warned that Ukraine’s actions could lead to “World War III.”

Zelenskyy, who has remained in Ukraine despite the ongoing Russian invasion, rejected the suggestion, emphasising that Ukraine could not accept a ceasefire without security guarantees due to Russia’s repeated violations of previous agreements.

The confrontation led to widespread condemnation, with European leaders and officials from countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand voicing their support for Ukraine.

US lawmakers, including Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, described the meeting as an “ambush” and rallied behind Zelenskyy.

Protests also took place in major cities across the US. Demonstrators in New York gathered in Times Square, many draping themselves in Ukrainian flags, while in Los Angeles, a pro-Ukraine rally was held outside a SpaceX facility.

“Ukraine wants fair peace. Ukraine wants the war to end,” the group Boston Supports Ukraine wrote on Facebook. “Ukraine wants all of this on fair terms with security guarantees.”

Protesters in Boston, along with others across the country, expressed their desire for the war to end on terms that ensure Ukraine’s security.

President Donald Trump on Thursday softened his stance on his reference to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator.”

The United States leader downplayed the remark while taking questions at the White House alongside Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

A journalist asked Trump to comment on the controversial “dictator” remark he had made in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” the President replied. There was pin-drop silence in the room following his response.

Trump had previously described Zelensky as a leader clinging to power, accusing him of refusing to organise elections despite the expiration of his presidential term.

In response, the Ukrainian leader stated that while his country had great respect for the American people and their support, Trump was living “in a disinformation space.”

Trump’s verbal attack on Zelensky sparked strong reactions across Europe, with leaders across the continent also criticising him for accusing Ukraine of instigating the three-year-long war against Russia.

Mobile phones will be banned at schools under new legislation proposed in Denmark, the education minister announced Tuesday.

“We have decided to give the government’s support to this idea and that’s why we are starting to prepare a change in the law,” Mattias Tesfaye told the Danish daily newspaper Politiken.

The details of the law have not yet been signed off but Tesfaye said “mobile phones and personal tablets will not be allowed at school, neither during break times nor during lessons”.

“I believe screens are robbing many of our children of their childhood,” culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said at a press conference.

The plan follows recommendations from a youth wellbeing commission, which also recommended restricting the use of smartphones to those aged 13 and older.

Rasmus Meyer, president of the commission, said the age restriction was “clearly not something that should be decided by law”.

“As soon as a phone enters a child’s bedroom, it takes up all the space,” Meyer said. “It risks destroying their self-esteem. As soon as they have a gadget in their hands, their wellbeing suffers.”

AFP