Donald Trump and JD Vance embarrassed themselves, the United States government, and our country as a whole in a disgusting browbeating of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky on his visit to the White House.ย Zelensky was in Washington to sign a shakedown deal originated by Trump to extort mineral rights out of war-torn, cash-strapped Ukraine. And Vance, belying his Yale education, resembled an uniformed lap dog who could not articulate an original thought.
And what was not lost on the rest of the world was the total capitulation by Trump and his administration in bowing to Vladimir Putin and his maniacal quest to reform the U.S.S.R.
Reason for Meeting
As mentioned earlier, Trump and Zelensky met to discuss a deal in which Ukraine would give the U.S. mineral rights to large sections of the country. Ukraine is rich in minerals like titanium, lithium, uranium, natural gas, and rare earth elements. Some of these elements are crucial to our country’s commerce and are responsible for products such as construction materials, batteries, nuclear power, and green energy initiatives.
However, the deal is not quite as sweet as Trump boasts. For as profitable as this deal could be, it does not include resources that are already serving as a revenue source to Ukraine, such as their largest oil and gas producers. The agreement depends entirely on the success of new investments in Ukraineโs resources, many of which are currently in Russian control.
And what were Zelensky and Ukraine’s takeaways from this deal? Practically nothing. No assurance of additional U.S. military and/or humanitarian aid. No guarantee of U.S. support for Ukraine’s entry into NATO. Also, no agreement on the Trump administration’s part in declaring that Russia was the aggressor in this conflict and that they have committed war crimes in Ukraine: both facts agreed to and voted on by the majority of the countries that are members of the United Nations.
Press Event Chaos
It was a rocky road that led to the meeting of these two world leaders. Trump had earlier falsely accused Zelensky of being a “dictator” and blamed the start of the conflict on the Ukraine leader. This added to the disrespect that Trump showed Ukraine by not including its leaders in the ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Russia that were held in Saudi Arabia last week. Zelensky tamped down the rhetoric and agreed to a meeting with the U.S. president to sign the agreement.
When Trump and Zelensky spoke in front of the media before the signing of the historic agreement, the conversation started cordially and respectfully. But then Trump and Vance sprung an ambush on Zelensky, accusing him of not thanking the U.S. and Trump properly for their past support and aid. Vance then jumped in, accusing the Ukrainian president of being disrespectful and not showing proper gratitude to Mr. Trump. Zelnesky tried to refute what Vance was saying, but Trump interrupted rudely with,
โWeโre trying to solve a problem. Donโt tell us what weโre going to feel because youโre in no position to dictate that. Youโre not in a good position. Youโre gambling with World War III. What youโre doing is very disrespectful to the country.”
The conversation continued to digress as Trump and Vance continued to berate Zelensky for his alleged ungratefulness. Zelensky remained calm and professional, reminding both that he had expressed his gratefulness on numerous occasions. He also asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine, to which the Vice President replied that he hadn’t.
The U.S. president interrupted again, erroneously claiming that the United States had sent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine to help them repel the unprovoked Russian aggression. Unfortunately for Trump, the real amount is $174 billion, which includes direct support for Ukraine but also aid to other countries affected by the conflict, including funds for the stationing of additional NATO troops. The meeting abruptly ended shortlyย after that.
Aftermath
Needless to say, the agreement was never signed, and Trump, in a poor show of statesmanship, kicked Zelensky out of the White House. Reactions to the confrontation were swift and pointed.
Elon Musk: “Zelensky destroyed himself in the eyes of the American people.”
Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger: “Trump is too much of a coward to say a bad thing to Putin, yet he dares lecture Zelensky? Russia is on the verge of collapse and Trump/Vance are desperate to save them.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain: โOur country retains his unwavering support for Ukraine and is playing its part to find a path forward to a lasting peace.โ
Dmitry Medvedev, Putin flunky and former Russian president: “A fierce dressing down in the Oval Office. Trump told the cocaine clown the truth to his face for the first time: the Kiev regime is playing with World War III. And the ungrateful pig got a solid slap from the pigsty owners. This is useful. But it is not enough โ we need to stop military aid to the Nazi machine.”
Perhaps the most foreboding warning came from Daniel Fried, a career diplomat under American presidents of both parties who had just returned from Brussels: โThe Europeans are horrified and dismayed. โTheyโre watching the America they know and respect change in a matter of a couple of weeks.โ
