Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky came in Washington’s optimism to stabilize their relationship and keep the United States on his side by signing President Donald Trump’s desired mineral trade.
It turns out he was walking to an ambush.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of expressing appreciation for our involvement and not overestimating what they said during a remarkably tense exchange in the oval office on Friday.
“You’ve spoken enough. You haven’t won this,” Trump said. “You have a good chance to come out okay because of us.”
The fireworks began with more than 40 minutes of sincere conversation about an economic agreement that had been signed from Trump about the US standing with Ukraine, and the two countries signed and planned an ambiguous guarantee if the war with Russia ended. However, after an incredibly and highly publicized spat, Zelensky left the White House and set off early as leaders concluded a planned press conference and a framework to share future benefits from Ukraine’s rare minerals.
Trump dismissed Zelensky in a truth-social post just before his leader SUV was pulled back to Westwing Portico to ferry him. “We feel that our involvement has a great advantage for him in negotiations, so President Zelensky has decided that if America were involved he would not be prepared for peace,” the president wrote. “I don’t want any advantage. I want peace. He downplayed the United States in his precious oval office. He can come back when he’s ready for peace.”
Trump, who said during his campaign he could quickly and easily end the war, is now facing more complicated geopolitical reality. However, he continues to put pressure on Ukraine, overturning America’s stance that protecting the country’s sovereignty from Russian attacks is important for global stability and security.
The Russian Foreign Minister revealed this week that there is no tendency to come to the negotiation table as the Kremlin continues to slowly invade along the current line of combat in eastern Ukraine. But Trump has not yet publicly criticized Putin, instead employing the Kremlin position, including opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership and the falsehood that Ukraine is responsible for starting a war. Russia attacked Ukraine three years ago without provoking it.
Sitting quietly during Friday’s meeting, Vance was troubled by the Ukrainian president’s criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for breaking his words when he called the “terrorist” when he called the US military support before TV cameras and journalist Phalanx.
“I think it’s rude to you to file a lawsuit in front of the American media and come to an oval office,” Vance told Zelensky. “Now you guys have talent issues and you are forcing us to draft a military service on the frontline, so we should thank the President for trying to put an end to this conflict.”
Trump, who previously praised Ukrainian courage during the war and left the door open to the US offering security assurances, was more animated as Zelensky intertwined with Vance.
Despite Zelensky’s “nice sea” separating the United States from Europe, the US warned Trump that Russia would ultimately feel the impact of overtaking Ukraine and its neighbors.
“You shouldn’t tell us what we’re trying to feel,” Trump shot. “We’re trying to solve the problem.
He continued: “You’re not in a position to decide what we’re trying to feel. We feel very good and it makes us feel very strong.”
Zelensky struggled to respond as Trump and Vance took turns infantilizing him, denounced him for what they said, and exchanged his strategic decision to write his strategic decision in the room.
“Instead of trying to fight it in the American media when you’re wrong, just sue these disagreements,” Vance said.
“You have to be grateful,” Trump told Zelensky, expressing his frustration that Ukrainian leaders have been taking Russian troops for three years but have no intention of making concessions to end the war soon. “You don’t have a card. You are buried there. Your people are dying. You are running the soldiers low.”
Trump reminded Zelensky that President Barack Obama offered Javelin missiles to Ukraine in his first term after failing to respond to Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea.
“You have to be more grateful because you don’t have a card. With us, you have a card, but without us, you don’t have a card,” Trump said.
“It’s going to be difficult to do that because you have to change your attitude,” Trump said. “You’re going to make a deal or we’re going out. And if we’re going out, you’ll fight it. And I don’t think it’s going to be clean.”
(Source: Politico)