U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got into an unusually heated exchange in the Oval Office on Friday, as Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Ukraine’s leader for being ungrateful and pressured him to make a deal with Russia, only to be met with a spirited response.
Trump told Zelensky, the president of a country that has been successfully withstanding an invasion by a nuclear superpower for just over three years, that without (wildly inflated) U.S. assistance, Ukraine would have disappeared in about two weeks.
“Or three days, yes, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said the exact same thing,” said Zelensky, concisely homing in on exactly the problem Ukraine faces when one of its larger defense and financial backers suddenly switches sides in the middle of a war.
Zelensky came to Washington on Friday with a lot of baggage, a large dose of humility, a spartan wardrobe, and hopes that Trump’s apparent turn toward the Kremlin was a passing fad. He was sorely disabused of that when he sat down with Trump and his advisors in the Oval Office in front of news cameras.
Trump just sided with Russia against freedom and democracy. This is the most thug-like, anyone alive has seen an american president act. Just complete mobster mentality.
An absolute ambush by Trump/Vance. Tough to believe it wasn’t planned this way. I can’t believe this is what the US has become. We’re seriously siding with Russia. So, so disheartening.
Those who are surprised, I think, have not understood what is happening and the world we are heading towards…
I am officially ashamed to be an American. Trump and Vance are such bullies, sociopaths. They can rot in hell as far as I am concerned. Might as well have told Churchill to make a peace deal in 1940.
Meanwhile Marco Rubio sits there in silence. If I had any ounce of dignity I would quit right now.
Watching the entire stream and focusing specifically on the line of questions asked to Zelensky by reporters and how Trump and Vance whipped themselves into a faux fury towards the end, its clear this was a pre-determined conclusion to this meeting from this administration. The questions were meant to belittle and disrespect Zelensky on both a political and personal level to goad him into a slip up that they could pounce on to justify the concluding scene.
While its just happened, it seems the end goal of this meeting from the Trump administration was to begin the process of pulling out all support from Ukraine. “If you don’t take this deal, you’ll have to fight it out without us” was said and alluded to multiple times in the stream, more or less confirming this was on their mind from the beginning. Turning this move into “good TV” wins points for the MAGA base, shows Trump as a “strong leader putting the beggar Zelensky in his place” and shows to the EU and greater world that Trump is not like previous presidents and will not operate like them.
I can imagine the next steps from the Trump administration would be withholding assets from Ukraine, the removal of US based sanctions on Russia and potentially even economic pressure on Ukraine to “force them back to the table” and accept a more Russian favorable deal with phrasing that “Trump humbled Zelensky” and “see they needed us after all now they really can’t survive when the US doesn’t come to the rescue”. This, of course, is all to boost domestic American popularity at the expense of Ukrainian lives and sovereignty.
I am the first to admit that I am not an expert when it comes to Americas relationship with Ukraine and Russia, or this ongoing war. However, I feel that the manner in which Trump, and then Vance conducted themselves was low class and embarrassing to Americans. They both spoke about respecting the Oval Office, but did not do so themselves. Trump and Vance did act like school yard bullies, backed up by their media lap dogs (who cares if Zelensky did not wear a suit). It is sad that the world has devolved into this.
Took about 35 years longer than expected, but it finally happened. The ghostly hand of the USSR successfully choked out America. Khrushchev and Yuri Andropov must be laughing in their graves.
I’ve seen high schoolers conduct meetings that were more professional. Very embarrassing and even more so that Trump and Vance seem proud of their purposeful buffoonery. It’s disturbing that we’re ruled by such arrogant fools.
I’m honestly baffled. What do they have to gain from this by suddenly switching sides? What did russia promise/offer them for this? I’m struggling to see what the benefits are from their side
Zelenski triggered Trump with the ocean comment, which to me was tactless. Then all went downhill. The problem is that Zelenski’s English is very basic, he can’t express himself. It would have been better if he had used a translator and express his points as politically correct as he can.
It is unfortunate that we as a nation are allowing American hegemony to recede in such a manner. Once we get up and back away from the seat at the table, there is no guarantee that we will be allowed to sit in the same chair again.
Even if Zelensky signs a deal which gives us short-term profits, the bigger pain is the loss of confidence in America as a trading partner. Our primary power in the world is our overall economic stability, backed by good faith practices against the back drop of rising alternatives (BRICS). If we cannot demonstrate good faith practices to our closest allies such as Canada, then others will see how we treat those not as close, such as Ukraine, and attempt to diversify away from us.
We cannot afford to act this way, especially publicly. This needs to be reminder to all who would support such behavior from a sitting US president:
Our greatest economic rival, China, has surpassed the manufacturing capacity of World War II-era United States. The United States of today is far below that.
We should not give up American supremacy for the sake of short-term gains. Once we lose it, especially in such an ungraceful manner, the world will not allow us to get it back without some form of a fight.
I have no doubt that Trump’s already committed acts that are relatively on the same level as the acts committed which resulted in Impeachment #1. We just haven’t learned about it, yet.
Wake up Europe. China is better partner than this unstable freak. Wake up Europe.
There was no “smackdown.” It was two childish weak men with the emotional maturity of a toddler doing their best to repeat the propaganda lines daddy Putin taught them.
President Zelensky was the only true leader in that building.
If Europe steps up to defend Ukraine I’ll be so proud
I feel so sorry for Ukraine, they got screwed by those who promised they will protect them.
I wonder how cold, calculating and realist will American politics become after this meeting 😉
Perhaps Trump would like to start setting the example to earn said respect. He called the man a dictator and then expects respect? Manhood will evade this carbon based lifeform to the end. He may be a male, but he is no man.
As an American I’d like to make it clear-This is unacceptable and I’m ashamed. Let me personally apologize to Mr. Zelensky on behalf of every single American who has an IQ over 70 and a sense of moral obligation. That was sickening to witness.
So Zelensky goes to the US to a sign a massive minerals deal as thanks for their support, and gets told he’s not thankful enough for their support. And in the end they don’t sign the deal.
Donny with those supreme negotiating skills once again.
What an absolute disgrace from the United States. Laughable.
Poor Zelenskyy.
The problem with democracy is that a critical mass of people will believe whatever is easiest for them to believe, with little regard to plausibility.
How many officials have been elected on promises to both cut spending and cut taxes without raising the deficit??
The European public so desperately wants to believe that the US will solve this that they are not permitting elected officials to cut loose and take the action required.
I worry that this same public would rather permit a slaughter in Ukraine than actually actively make the sacrifices needed to enter a wartime economy. But for now they prefer not actually admitting that.
Russians on the other hand have no choice.
Ukraine has fought bravely there’s no shame in conceding with Russia now and giving up some territory, especially when the alternative is likely a decade + long conflict resulting in an entire generation of men dying with no realistic path to victory save for the entire western world indefinitely supporting them (which they clearly don’t want to)
25 comments
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got into an unusually heated exchange in the Oval Office on Friday, as Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Ukraine’s leader for being ungrateful and pressured him to make a deal with Russia, only to be met with a spirited response.
Trump told Zelensky, the president of a country that has been successfully withstanding an invasion by a nuclear superpower for just over three years, that without (wildly inflated) U.S. assistance, Ukraine would have disappeared in about two weeks.
“Or three days, yes, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said the exact same thing,” said Zelensky, concisely homing in on exactly the problem Ukraine faces when one of its larger defense and financial backers suddenly switches sides in the middle of a war.
Zelensky came to Washington on Friday with a lot of baggage, a large dose of humility, a spartan wardrobe, and hopes that Trump’s apparent turn toward the Kremlin was a passing fad. He was sorely disabused of that when he sat down with Trump and his advisors in the Oval Office in front of news cameras.
Trump just sided with Russia against freedom and democracy. This is the most thug-like, anyone alive has seen an american president act. Just complete mobster mentality.
An absolute ambush by Trump/Vance. Tough to believe it wasn’t planned this way. I can’t believe this is what the US has become. We’re seriously siding with Russia. So, so disheartening.
Those who are surprised, I think, have not understood what is happening and the world we are heading towards…
I am officially ashamed to be an American. Trump and Vance are such bullies, sociopaths. They can rot in hell as far as I am concerned. Might as well have told Churchill to make a peace deal in 1940.
Meanwhile Marco Rubio sits there in silence. If I had any ounce of dignity I would quit right now.
Watching the entire stream and focusing specifically on the line of questions asked to Zelensky by reporters and how Trump and Vance whipped themselves into a faux fury towards the end, its clear this was a pre-determined conclusion to this meeting from this administration. The questions were meant to belittle and disrespect Zelensky on both a political and personal level to goad him into a slip up that they could pounce on to justify the concluding scene.
While its just happened, it seems the end goal of this meeting from the Trump administration was to begin the process of pulling out all support from Ukraine. “If you don’t take this deal, you’ll have to fight it out without us” was said and alluded to multiple times in the stream, more or less confirming this was on their mind from the beginning. Turning this move into “good TV” wins points for the MAGA base, shows Trump as a “strong leader putting the beggar Zelensky in his place” and shows to the EU and greater world that Trump is not like previous presidents and will not operate like them.
I can imagine the next steps from the Trump administration would be withholding assets from Ukraine, the removal of US based sanctions on Russia and potentially even economic pressure on Ukraine to “force them back to the table” and accept a more Russian favorable deal with phrasing that “Trump humbled Zelensky” and “see they needed us after all now they really can’t survive when the US doesn’t come to the rescue”. This, of course, is all to boost domestic American popularity at the expense of Ukrainian lives and sovereignty.
I am the first to admit that I am not an expert when it comes to Americas relationship with Ukraine and Russia, or this ongoing war. However, I feel that the manner in which Trump, and then Vance conducted themselves was low class and embarrassing to Americans. They both spoke about respecting the Oval Office, but did not do so themselves. Trump and Vance did act like school yard bullies, backed up by their media lap dogs (who cares if Zelensky did not wear a suit). It is sad that the world has devolved into this.
Took about 35 years longer than expected, but it finally happened. The ghostly hand of the USSR successfully choked out America. Khrushchev and Yuri Andropov must be laughing in their graves.
I’ve seen high schoolers conduct meetings that were more professional. Very embarrassing and even more so that Trump and Vance seem proud of their purposeful buffoonery. It’s disturbing that we’re ruled by such arrogant fools.
I’m honestly baffled. What do they have to gain from this by suddenly switching sides? What did russia promise/offer them for this? I’m struggling to see what the benefits are from their side
Zelenski triggered Trump with the ocean comment, which to me was tactless. Then all went downhill. The problem is that Zelenski’s English is very basic, he can’t express himself. It would have been better if he had used a translator and express his points as politically correct as he can.
It is unfortunate that we as a nation are allowing American hegemony to recede in such a manner. Once we get up and back away from the seat at the table, there is no guarantee that we will be allowed to sit in the same chair again.
Even if Zelensky signs a deal which gives us short-term profits, the bigger pain is the loss of confidence in America as a trading partner. Our primary power in the world is our overall economic stability, backed by good faith practices against the back drop of rising alternatives (BRICS). If we cannot demonstrate good faith practices to our closest allies such as Canada, then others will see how we treat those not as close, such as Ukraine, and attempt to diversify away from us.
We cannot afford to act this way, especially publicly. This needs to be reminder to all who would support such behavior from a sitting US president:
Our greatest economic rival, China, has surpassed the manufacturing capacity of World War II-era United States. The United States of today is far below that.
We should not give up American supremacy for the sake of short-term gains. Once we lose it, especially in such an ungraceful manner, the world will not allow us to get it back without some form of a fight.
I have no doubt that Trump’s already committed acts that are relatively on the same level as the acts committed which resulted in Impeachment #1. We just haven’t learned about it, yet.
Wake up Europe. China is better partner than this unstable freak. Wake up Europe.
There was no “smackdown.” It was two childish weak men with the emotional maturity of a toddler doing their best to repeat the propaganda lines daddy Putin taught them.
President Zelensky was the only true leader in that building.
If Europe steps up to defend Ukraine I’ll be so proud
who’s that sitting next to Rubio ?
https://youtu.be/p5vBvlBGmoY?si=pal6l5ama2XMNTC0&t=111
I feel so sorry for Ukraine, they got screwed by those who promised they will protect them.
I wonder how cold, calculating and realist will American politics become after this meeting 😉
Perhaps Trump would like to start setting the example to earn said respect. He called the man a dictator and then expects respect? Manhood will evade this carbon based lifeform to the end. He may be a male, but he is no man.
As an American I’d like to make it clear-This is unacceptable and I’m ashamed. Let me personally apologize to Mr. Zelensky on behalf of every single American who has an IQ over 70 and a sense of moral obligation. That was sickening to witness.
So Zelensky goes to the US to a sign a massive minerals deal as thanks for their support, and gets told he’s not thankful enough for their support. And in the end they don’t sign the deal.
Donny with those supreme negotiating skills once again.
What an absolute disgrace from the United States. Laughable.
Poor Zelenskyy.
The problem with democracy is that a critical mass of people will believe whatever is easiest for them to believe, with little regard to plausibility.
How many officials have been elected on promises to both cut spending and cut taxes without raising the deficit??
The European public so desperately wants to believe that the US will solve this that they are not permitting elected officials to cut loose and take the action required.
I worry that this same public would rather permit a slaughter in Ukraine than actually actively make the sacrifices needed to enter a wartime economy. But for now they prefer not actually admitting that.
Russians on the other hand have no choice.
Ukraine has fought bravely there’s no shame in conceding with Russia now and giving up some territory, especially when the alternative is likely a decade + long conflict resulting in an entire generation of men dying with no realistic path to victory save for the entire western world indefinitely supporting them (which they clearly don’t want to)
Comments are closed.