The future of US support for Ukraine is in doubt after being left to a yelling match between Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky and President Donald Trump.
The two leaders, together with US Vice President JD Vance, clashed in front of reporters in the oval office on Friday about the future of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There were signs that the meeting would be exciting from the moment Zelensky arrived at the White House after Trump greeted the Ukrainian leaders with QUIP about his outfit.
Tensions quickly rose as it became clear that leaders opposed the conditions of the mineral trade.
Zelenskyy stressed that any agreement that must include actual security guarantees in Ukraine requires any agreement.
Tensions skyrocketed as Trump touted his friendly ties with President Vladimir Putin.
The press conference accused Vance of Ukrainian leaders of “disrespectful” and said, “Did you say ‘Thank you’ once?’ ”
The meeting ended prematurely before the Ukrainian leader and his delegation were guided from the White House.
The future of the mineral trade has not been signed, so its future looks uncertain now. An unnamed White House official who spoke on condition of Reuters’ anonymity said Trump is currently uninterested in bringing it back.
The same official claimed that after a Ukrainian delegation was told to leave the White House, they began “gogging” to sign the contract.
Zelenskyy won an X shortly after the meeting, thanking “Congress and the Americans.”
“Ukraine really needs peace and we work precisely for that,” he writes.
The Ukrainian leader has since appeared on the conservative US television network Fox News, where he was repeatedly asked in interviews whether he would apologize to Trump.
The Ukrainian leader refused to do so, but he said he regretted public nausea, saying it was “not good for both sides.”
“I don’t know if we’ve done anything wrong,” Zelensky said. “We cannot change Ukrainian attitudes towards Russia. They are murderers to us.”
However, when asked in the interview if he could save his relationship with Trump, Zelensky replied, “Of course.”
On Saturday, Zelenskyy again posted on social media, saying: It is important for Ukrainians to know that they are not alone and that their interests are expressed in every corner of the world. ”
“He should apologise.”
Several well-known Trump administration officials publicly denounced Zelensky, accusing him of despising the US president, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the conference as a “bad failure” and questioned whether the Ukrainian leaders really wanted peace.
“There was no need for him to go there and be hostile,” Rubio told CNN.
“The weakening of positive and open efforts to bring peace is extremely frustrating for everyone who has been involved in communicating with them to this day. I think he should apologise for wasting our time.”
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican Sen., labeled the meeting as “a complete disaster.”
Graham – A supporter of Ukrainian voices and a loyal Trump alliance said before the meeting he advised Zelenskyy to focus on mineral trade and avoid discussing security guarantees and ceasefire with Russia.
“I spoke to Zelensky this morning. Don’t take any bait. President Trump felt very good last night,” Graham said.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do business with Zelenskyy again,” he added.
Zelenskyy found support from senior Democrats in both Houses of Congress, which denounced Trump’s exchange with Vance’s Ukrainian president.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of doing Putin’s “dirty work.”
“President Trump and his administration continue to embarrass America on the global stage,” Jeffries said.
Statements from 14 Democratic governors also accused Zelensky of “failing” using Trump and an oval office to “fail” Zelensky “doesn’t trust Vladimir Putin’s words.”
“Americans must protect our strong democratic values on the world stage, rather than undermining President Zelensky’s work to fight for the freedom of his country and his people after being invaded by Russia,” he said.
Moscow supported the Trump administration shortly after the meeting, with the Russian Foreign Ministry labeling Zelenki’s label as “Skanbag.” Victor Orban – the far-right populist prime minister of Hungary – praised Trump for standing “bravely for peace.”
However, the overwhelming international response was one of Kyiv’s support.
In the hours since Spatt, several Western countries have condemned the actions of the Trump administration, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Russia illegally and unfairly invaded Ukraine. For three years, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience. Their battle for democracy, freedom and sovereignty is an important battle for all of us,” he said.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Garh also labeled the exchange as “serious and discouraging.”
“Trump’s denouncement of Zelensky for gambling in World War II is a statement that I’m distancing from myself and blames me for keeping my distance. Norway is standing with Ukraine in the struggle for freedom,” he said.
Source link
