When Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House on February 28th, the relationship between America and Ukraine was shaky and unclear.
By the time Ukraine’s president left, the relationship was completely broken. In a heated argument caught on camera, Donald Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, angrily accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and warned that he was pushing the world toward a third world war. Now, Zelensky heads home facing even more challenges than before.
A peace deal now seems more unlikely than ever.
With relations falling apart and Trump claiming that Ukraine isn’t ready for peace, there’s a growing risk that his administration might stop sending military and financial support. This comes at a critical time when Russia still has the upper hand in the war.
It’s hard to remember a recent diplomatic event that went so badly wrong.
“I’m not taking sides with anyone. My loyalty is to the United States,” Mr. Trump said while sitting in the Oval Office with Mr. Zelensky, Mr. Vance, and several aides.
He said America is a great country because it values diplomacy, and that’s what President Trump is doing.
Diplomacy is the skill of managing relationships between countries through talks and agreements instead of conflict. It helps nations solve problems, build trust, and work together peacefully.
At this moment, Mr. Zelensky could have tried to praise and persuade Mr. Trump, just as other recent visitors to the White House, like France’s Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Sir Keir Starmer, had done. Instead, he talked about the history of the conflict since 2014 and pointed out that Vladimir Putin had not kept previous agreements.
Mr. Zelensky, speaking in slightly broken but clearly sarcastic English, asked, “J.D., what kind of diplomacy are you talking about?”
This played perfectly into the hands of Mr. Vance, who likely planned from the start to criticize and embarrass Mr. Zelensky.
Mr Zelensky travelled to Washington with two main goals: to secure more weapons for Ukraine’s war effort and to set the foundation for a lasting peace deal.
Ukraine firmly believes that a ceasefire without strong security guarantees from the West would be a trap, giving Russia time to rearm and create instability within Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky made it clear: “We will never accept just a ceasefire.” However, it was not the right moment to discuss this with America’s leaders.
The vice president responded sharply, saying, “It’s disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and argue about this in front of the American media right now.”He then criticized Ukraine, claiming it was forcing conscripts (people required to join the military) to fight. When Mr. Zelensky asked if he had visited Ukraine, he dismissed visits by other world leaders, calling them “just propaganda tours.”
Before the meeting, there was hope that the tense relationship between the two leaders had improved a little. At a press conference with Sir Keir Starmer the day before, Mr Trump denied ever calling Mr Zelensky a dictator. On the contrary, Mr. Trump called the Ukrainian leader “very brave” and said he had a lot of respect for him. A deal for joint mineral extraction was close to being signed. Before the talks started, a European official in Kyiv expressed hope, saying, “We want them to leave with a smile.”
During the heated exchange between Vance and Zelensky, Mr. Trump seemed mostly passive (not actively involved or reacting much), playing the good cop, while Mr. Vance took on the bad cop role. Then, Mr. Zelensky took it a step too far, saying, “Everyone faces problems during a war.”America is protected for now by the ocean, but eventually, the effects of the war will reach you too.
Mr. Trump clearly didn’t like that remark. He snapped, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” as the meeting quickly fell apart. He then remarked that Ukraine was in a difficult situation and was taking a risk that could lead to World War Three. He cautioned that “your actions are very disrespectful to this country.”
Mr. Vance quickly stepped in, reminding Mr. Trump that Mr. Zelensky had appeared with Democrats in Pennsylvania during last year’s campaign. He also told Zelensky to be more grateful to those helping him. This made Mr. Trump even angrier.
Soon, Mr Trump started talking about Hunter Biden, the son of the former president and reminded everyone that he had sent Javelin missiles to Ukraine, while Barack Obama had refused to send weapons. The president sighed, saying, “Doing business this way will be very difficult,” and went on to criticize Mr. Zelensky and his country.
France’s President, Mr Macron, visited Washington on February 24th, followed by Sir Keir on the 27th. In Europe, both visits were seen as successful. Each leader spoke to Mr. Trump about security guarantees, and both meetings ended on a positive note.
However, the heated argument on February 28th has already raised serious concerns in European capitals. Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, quickly expressed support for Ukraine, saying, “Dear [Zelensky], dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.” Almost all major European leaders also showed their support similarly.
European leaders will meet in London on March 2nd to discuss their plans for a possible military deployment to Ukraine after a ceasefire and how to fund increased defense spending. These talks have now become even more urgent, according to The Economist. There is no doubt that America is still key to Ukraine’s war effort.
Even though Europe supplies most of the aid, with 60% compared to America’s 40%, Ukraine still depends on the U.S. for air-defence interceptors, intelligence, and spare parts for American weapons.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, there was an open celebration. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman, laughed at the situation, saying Zelensky finally got put in his place at the Oval Office. He also claimed that the Kyiv government was taking risks that could lead to World War III.
Mr. Trump posted on social media soon after the argument, saying, “It’s surprising what people say when they get emotional.”He also said that Mr. Zelensky was “not ready for peace” and criticized him for disrespecting America. “He can return when he is ready for peace,” he added. The planned press conference was called off, and Mr Zelensky left the White House early without signing the mineral rights deal, which was the main reason for his visit to Washington.
Ukraine’s future is uncertain and full of risks. Mr. Zelensky may face growing pressure from both inside and outside the country to resign, hold elections, or both. However, it’s unclear how this could happen during wartime without ending martial law (military control over civilian rule during emergencies), which could throw the country into chaos.
A Ukrainian opposition MP said, “Arguing with Trump like this gives Zelensky no chance. Now, Trump will try to bring him down. I fear the cost could be our entire country.”
(Girish Linganna is a Defence and Aerospace Analyst based out of Bengaluru. He is also the Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
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