Washington: It was meant to be a meeting following the polite protocol of high diplomacy in advance of signing a US-Ukrainian deal on the joint exploitation of natural resources. Instead, it erupted into a shouting match resembling a bar room brawl, a spectacle never seen in the Oval Room of the White House.

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The brawlers were US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. With TV cameras rolling, the arguments got so heated that the host, Donald Trump, cut the meeting short and asked the Ukrainian and his team to leave. 

There is little doubt who came out as the winner of the brawl: Russian President Vladimir Putin, almost 5,000 miles away in Moscow.

Also read: Zelensky reacts to his combat-style clothing: 'Why don't you wear a suit?'

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While it was not explicitly discussed in the Oval Room fracas, the bone of contention was Trump’s perplexing assertion, on February 19, that Ukraine was responsible for the war that began with a full-scale Russian invasion by land, air and sea almost exactly three years ago.

It was the beginning of the biggest military conflict in Europe since the end of World War II and Putin was so confident that his vast army could subdue Ukraine within days that senior officers packed dress uniforms for the expected victory parade in the Ukrainian capital. Three years and tens of thousands of dead Russians and Ukrainians later, the war grinds on.

Ukraine withstood the Russian onslaught thanks to weapons supplies and economic assistance from the United States and European allies. While European support remained solid, Washington lately began echoing the Moscow narrative: Russia was threatened by the possible expansion of NATO.

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Trump last week even repeated a Kremlin talking point by calling Zelensky a dictator with an approval rating of only four percent. Opinion polls in Ukraine put that rating at more than 50 per cent. Trump claims on his being a dictator prompted Zelensky to say publicly that the US president lived in a “disinformation space.”

Also read: 'Got a proper slap': Russia calls Trump, Zelensky shouting match 'historic'; Europe united behind Ukraine

Reporters in attendance at the meeting that ended so disastrously said the first 20 minutes followed routine procedure. It flared into acrimony when Zelensky challenged Vance’s assertion that a diplomatic solution could be reached with Putin. The Ukrainian cited examples of Putin breaking agreements.

His voice raised, Vance said he was talking of diplomacy that could end the destruction of Ukraine. Then, almost shouting, he added: “I think it is disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.

“Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems, you should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to that conflict.” Trump chimed in to back up his Vice President. A raucous exchange ensued.

Apart from the geopolitical implications of America turning its back on Ukraine, and moving closer to Moscow, it is worth noting that there is personal animus between the three men involved in the unprecedented Oval Office fight.

Last July, shortly after being named Vice President, JD Vance said in an interview with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine, one way or the other.”

Trump, no doubt, has never forgotten, or forgiven, that Zelensky rebuffed him in a telephone call asking for his help in digging up dirt on the family of Joe Biden, his opponent in the campaign for the 2020 presidential elections. The call led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Also read: Zelensky declines to apologise after White House clash: 'Not sure that we did something bad'

The sticking point for the minerals deal – involving rare minerals the United States lacks – was that the Ukrainians want it linked with security guarantees. As Trump explained in the contentious meetings, the presence of American companies and American workers extracting minerals would be a security guarantee itself.

The guarantee Zelenksy has in mind embraces a continued flow of US weapons, intelligence support and diplomatic backing – all of which run counter to Putin’s view of the conflict.

The draft of the deal meant to be signed this weekend envisages that the two countries will jointly develop Ukraine’s mineral resources, including oil and gas, but did not include US demands for a right to $500 billion in potential revenue.

WATCH: Trump-Zelensky Meet: Trump slams Zelensky's 'attitude', says it is a tough deal to make

Instead, there would be a joint investment fund into which Ukraine would contribute 50 percent of all revenue earned from selling natural resources.

Is the deal dead after the Oval Office brawl? That remains unclear. What is clear is that the Moscow- generated “disinformation space” Zelensky complained about is likely to persist.