On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House. The meeting was controversial, so here’s a recap of what took place.
In the Oval Office, Trump and Zelenskyy’s goal was to negotiate the war in Ukraine, yet the meeting quickly turned rough as arguments between Trump, J.D. Vance, and Zelenskyy began.
According to CFR, Trump accused Zenlenskyy of “gambling with World War III.” Essentially, he argued that Ukraine does not possess the right cards to continue to participate in war with Russia.
Foreign Policy shares about how, in recent weeks, “Trump has gone from labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a ‘dictator,’ to having a meltdown while meeting with him in the Oval Office.”
Zelenskyy’s response to Trump’s claims that he is seeking World War III is shared on his Twitter account. Zelenskyy states, “I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.” Zelenskyy also shares his thoughts about their meeting in Washington. “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to.”
On the other hand, Trump’s thoughts differ from those of the Ukrainian President. BBC reports that in a social media post, the president stated, “America will not put up with it for much longer.” This comes after Zelenskyy’s statement that an end to the war with Russia was “very far away.”
In addition, after a fiery encounter with the Ukrainian president at the Oval Office, Trump said, “Probably not a great statement to have been making in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
One might think that Zelenskyy will turn his back on the United States after his latest meeting with Trump. However, it appears he has chosen to seek a reconciliation with Trump, which could mean Zelenskyy has found himself without other options. BBC states, “In a letter to the US president, he even gave specifics on what the first stage of a peace process could involve, including a naval and aerial ceasefire — proposals first suggested by France’s President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend.” This letter comes after Trump paused US military aid to Ukraine, which would have forced Zelenskyy to deal with the war by himself.
Trump’s response to the letter seems to be a sign of an attempt to reduce the tension created by the meeting at the Oval Office. BBC highlights, “Trump said he appreciated the letter.”
However, after the meeting with both presidents and the doubts that followed it, Zelenskyy’s letter makes more sense. BBC shares, “the Ukrainian leader had a warmer reception from European leaders at the weekend – but while they pledged to help secure Ukraine in the future, they made clear peace would still require US involvement.”
Ultimately, the Oval Office meeting left tensions between Ukraine and the U.S. There has yet to be a solution to their disagreements, especially when Trump’s long-time adviser, Keith Kellogg, had his thoughts about the conflict. AP News shared, “It was made clear to the Ukrainians before last week’s Oval Office meeting that the talks would focus on signing a critical minerals deal. The agreement, which the two sides still have not signed, would give the U.S access to Ukraine’s rare earth deposits and could be of value to U.S aerospace, electric vehicle and medical manufacturing.”
Perhaps in the following weeks, Americans and Ukrainians will learn more about how both leaders will either reconcile or cut ties. Though actions for reconciliation have been made, nothing has been definitive.