The unprecedented showdown between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 February at the Oval Office of the White House marked one of the most intense public confrontations between world leaders in recent memory. The world was kind of stunned to watch live the typically reserved nature of diplomacy give way to accusations, raised voices, finger pointing and exasperated gestures. The final 90 seconds of diplomatic meltdown at the end of the meeting that had lasted for nearly 139 minutes raised several key questions. One is whether Trump and Vice President JD Vance deliberately provoked Zelenskyy, whom Trump had recently referred to as a “dictator,” into a clash. Another equally important question is whether Zelenskyy’s response was overly emotional, potentially harming his country’s interests.
Regardless of these speculations, the heated exchange appeared to extinguish, at least for the time being, Ukraine’s hopes of securing the United States as a dependable ally in its efforts to repel and ultimately resolve Russia’s three-year aggression. The minerals agreement with Kyiv was framed by some as a means to compensate the US for future support to Ukraine; however, Trump remained notably ambiguous about whether Washington would provide solid security guarantees in return. Now, that mineral deal is seemingly put on hold for the foreseeable future. While Trump wants a pay back from Ukraine for the billions of dollars that the US has invested in this 3 year war, the words of Robert F Kennedy Jr should also not be ignored. According to RFK Jr, all those billions were merely money laundered by American multi-national arms manufacturing companies and Ukraine mostly had to buy American-made weapons to fight the war. That huge amount of money was taken back to America by companies like Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. “It’s a war that should have never happened. It’s a war the Russians tried repeatedly to settle on terms that were very, very beneficial to Ukraine and us. The major thing they wanted was for us to keep NATO out of Ukraine. The big military contractors want to add new countries to NATO all the time…,” RFK Jr said.
Following the Oval Office blowout, Ukraine’s European allies and several global leaders expressed their solidarity with Zelenskyy, while the White House emphasized its backing for President Trump’s “America First” policy. Zelenskyy’s timeline on social media platform ‘X’ was flooded with supportive messages from European allies and countries worldwide. In response to the outpouring of support, the Ukrainian leader replied, “Thank you for your support.” While many of Trump’s domestic supporters have expressed joy over the outcome of the meeting, the true celebration appeared to be emanating from the Kremlin. Since assuming the presidency, Trump has gravitated towards Russia, alarming traditional allies in Europe and elsewhere, and putting Ukraine in a precarious position. The Oval Office outburst marked the most overt indication of this shift. Regardless of Trump’s intentions, the situation appears highly favourable for Moscow. While Russia has been making gains on the battlefield, Ukraine finds itself in stark conflict with its primary supporter.
Any which way, Zelenskyy deserves accolades for the way he has led his country in the brutal war against a powerful aggressor all through these three years. Even after the dressing down in White House, he remains resolute in his commitment to the Ukrainian cause.
There is, however, one huge mistake that Zelenskyy committed as the leader of a nation. His campaigning in favor of the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania in 2024, as mentioned by JD Vance in the passing, seems to have not been taken kindly by the present US administration. Here’s a lesson for other countries, including India, that as the leader of a country, one should avoid taking sides in another country’s politics and especially never get involved in some other nation’s election. Worse is to go against the mood of the local population, something India did in the case of Bangladesh and is paying the price. It is doing the same thing in Myanmar too by siding with the junta and thereby, antagonising the people of Myanmar now. In future, when the military fails and falls in Burma, the citizens of that country will continue to view India as being a nation inimical to their common interests.
Meanwhile, a day following the White House blowout, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a rousing reception to Zelenskyy in London, assuring him of the UK’s steadfast support. Britain, France, and Ukraine subsequently came together to develop a ceasefire proposal to present to the United States. All these countries know it very well that making any progress in resolving the Ukraine crisis will be impossible without US support.
Europe has been uneasy since Trump initiated direct peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been isolated by most Western leaders since invading Ukraine three years ago. The scramble to remain relevant and protect European interests as their once stalwart ally appeared to be cosying up to Putin was even more troubling when Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator and falsely said that Ukraine started the war. Meetings in recent days, especially those involving Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron had provided some hope — until Zelenskyy’s disastrous visit to the White House which proved to be the last straw.
Also Read: ‘We are grateful for all support we’ve received from US,’ says Zelensky
The Oval Office showdown marked yet another example of Trump’s sweeping attempts to alter longstanding American policy positions during his first six weeks back in office, signalling further uncertainty for traditional American allies and partners who are already feeling the pressure to prove their value in Trump’s view. This development follows closely on the heels of Trump’s suggestion to permanently relocate Palestinians from Gaza and consider an American takeover of the area, as well as his commitment to impose significant tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting this week.
The unfolding events since 20 January reaffirm once again what former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had famously said: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”