During what was supposed to be a cordial meeting, followed by a lunch and a joint press conference between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fireworks erupted when Vice President JD Vance urged diplomacy and called Zelenskyy out for “trying to litigate this in front of the American media” and pointed out that he is “going around forcing conscripts to the frontlines because [he] has manpower problems.”
After making a veiled threat to the United States, claiming we don’t “feel it” now because we have a “nice ocean” around us but “will feel it in the future,” President Trump inserted himself telling Zelenskyy not to “tell us what we’re going to feel.”
“Don’t tell us what to feel. We are trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what to feel because you’re in no position to dictate that. Remember that. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” President Trump said. “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards…you’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.”
Zelenskyy ended up being removed from the White House before lunch and with no deal from President Trump.
Shortly after leaving the White House, Zelenskyy put out a statement on X:
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.
Within an hour, European leaders began echoing the same exact message in a coordinated response to today’s meltdown from the Ukraine President in the Oval Office. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Commission, Roberta Metsola, President of EU Parliament, Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party all posted to X:
“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukranian people.
Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy.
We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy’s account on X went on its own “gratitude” campaign, reposting more than two dozen messages to Ukraine with the response, “Thank you for your support.”
Among those thanked were Andrej Plenkovic, the Prime Minister of Croatia, Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, President Luc Frieden of the Netherlands, French President Emmanuel Macron, Portugese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, the Swedish Prime Minister’s account, German Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Czech President Petr Pavel, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, among other NATO leaders.
Notably absent was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian President Robert Fico.
Are the United States’ days in NATO numbered? Before the meeting took place, disgraced former NSA director John Bolton was on CNN saying that “we are now as close to Russia as an ally as we’ve ever been” and that “we are on the path out of NATO.”
