Never before has a president of the United States unleashed a rain of acrimony, recriminations and threats against a foreign leader − not to mention a wartime ally − in front of television cameras.
President Donald Trump’s verbal assault on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as ungrateful and misguided not only immediately undercut the deal on rare minerals that was ready for their signature in the East Room. It also puts at risk U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. It could imperil Zelenskyy’s political future.
More:Trump tells Zelenskyy to leave after Oval Office clash, mineral deal appears dead
Oval Office smackdown
In time, the shouting match in the Oval Office may turn out to be a pivot point in a realignment that moves Washington closer to Moscow and further from European allies who see Russia’s territorial ambitions as existential. They may now be forced to choose between accepting the terms of a U.S.-negotiated peace or continuing the war without America’s participation. If the stakes weren’t so high, the Oval Office smackdown might have seemed like a reality-TV version of foreign policy. “This is going to be great television, I’ll tell you that,” Trump said as the press pool left the room.
The contrast with the delicate dance that French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer demonstrated in visits with Trump this week was stark. They had taken pains to shower Trump with praise as an historic leader, even while carefully correcting a misstatement or two he made.
Instead, Zelenskyy bristled as Trump and Vice President JD Vance warned him it was time to strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump told him. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.” That deal now seems likely to grant Russia some of the territorial gains it has made since invading Ukraine three years ago – and to not include the security guarantees that Kiev has sought.
When a reporter asked what would happen if Putin didn’t live up to the terms of a ceasefire, Trump brushed the idea away. “What if a bomb dropped on your head right now?” he retorted.
