By now, many of us have seen clips of, or at least heard about, the infamous meeting between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Feb. 28 meeting raised concerns about the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations and international diplomacy. What some have labeled as “appalling” and “heartbreaking,” others have called a courageous example of “standing up for America.” It seems the meeting has sparked a range of emotions from people on either side of the aisle; but what exactly does this meeting mean for our future?
To attempt to decipher the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations, it is important to understand the past. When Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the U.S. immediately aided in economic reform and nuclear disarmament as part of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. The U.S. has historically taken a firm stance against communism, both diplomatically and militarily. Beginning in 2014, however, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. intensified its support for Ukraine in line with its anti-Communist agenda. The United States provided missiles, funding, and military training during this time.
However, hundreds of millions of dollars in aid were secretly withheld during the Summer of 2019 during President Trump’s first presidency. Despite bipartisan support in Congress and the Defense and State departments, aid was halted for a total of 55 days. This debacle became a chief issue in Trump’s first of two impeachment proceedings, along with Trump’s softer style of engagement with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin.
In February 2022, when Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. provided ground-breaking aid supplying weapons, money, and humanitarian support as well as levying major sanctions against Russia. With the support of NATO allies, the United States provided consistent support to Ukraine in its efforts against Russia’s invasion. In the face of this overwhelming support, political divisions within the U.S. began to put the future support of Ukraine up for question; support that Ukraine is highly dependent on.
Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Trump, as compared to Democratic nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris, made it clear his administration would be less willing to support Ukraine. Trump’s occasional praise of President Putin, suggestion of withdrawal from the NATO alliance, and avoidance of declarative support for Ukraine but rather desire to see the war end, left Ukraine’s supporters fearful of a second Trump presidency.
Trump was elected on Nov. 5, 2024. Despite his sweeping claims that he could end the war in “24 hours,” Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, the special envoy to Ukraine, set a goal of brokering a peace accord within one hundred days. Collaboration in Ukraine has generally been slow, particularly in comparison to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal.
This brings us to the 139-minute meeting four weeks ago. Tensions ran high before the meeting, the disturbed dynamic between the U.S. and Ukraine raising the question of whether the talk would be successful. While the primary goal of the meeting was to sign a rare minerals agreement, a discussion of the ongoing war was expected. The first 40 minutes of the conversation focused on the mineral agreement, however it quickly devolved.
Following JD Vance’s arguably targeted comment towards Zelenskyy about opting for diplomacy to make peace with Russia, was an unprecedented exchange between the global leaders. Trump and Vance frequently spoke over and interrupted Zelenskyy with a series of critiques, including that of his lack of “proper” dress. The media was shortly dismissed, with those left in the room looking visibly upset. The Ukrainian delegation hoped to continue the meeting despite the chaotic turn of events, but the request was denied.
As of March 18, however, the White House released a statement disclosing that a call between President Trump and President Putin about a ceasefire plan has begun. The plan entails a 40-day ceasefire proposal that officials hope will ultimately lead to the end of the war and long-term peace. The plan was agreed to by Ukrainian officials during the Saudi Arabia talks held last week. However, President Zelenskyy remains skeptical of Putin’s commitment to long-term peace.
It is safe to say that the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations remains uncertain. Will Ukraine still receive support from the U.S., or should it be suspended due to recent events? Does President Trump have the expertise and respectability required to negotiate peace? Does Ukraine have good reason to sever or adjust its recent diplomatic relationship with the United States; can it afford to?
However, one thing is certain: emotions are running high on both sides of this issue. Unfortunately, only time will tell if relations between the United States and Ukraine can be restored and if peace between the latter and Russia can be re-established. Until then, the American people and all interested parties must stay vigilant in keeping informed and holding officials on both sides accountable for their actions.