A member of Russia’s state-owned news agency gained access to the Oval Office on Friday to cover President Trump’s sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – even as the AP and Reuters were barred from the high-level meeting.

White House officials were expecting a positive meeting and said they had little reason to anticipate animosity before things deteriorated.

A reporter from Russia's state-owned news agency gained access to a Friday meeting in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as they clashed about their different views on how to end the three-year war.