I’ve seen neighborhood meetings to decide who is the pig that throws cigarette butts into the common yard calmer than the meeting between Zelensky, Trump, and Vance. The video will go down in history. And I have mixed feelings about it. Trump went so far as to praise Zelensky for his clothes and it was unclear whether he meant it or was simply laughing at him.
Even Macron, a guy who listens to a firecracker and goes under the bed, is now the world’s biggest warmonger on the Ukraine war.
For his part, the Ukrainian president gives the impression of being overwhelmed by the tension of the moment, and probably preferring to die rather than move to reach an agreement. Trump is convinced that such a war is unfeasible and is unwilling to continue paying for it, without that meaning he is happy with Putin’s hostile attitudes, with his airs of Soviet nostalgia.
You may think it’s crazy to make the meeting public, in front of the media. And it is. But Trump may have privately seen a different attitude from Zelensky than the one he offers to the public, which is something that happens often with political leaders. And perhaps the best way to set the record straight is this exercise in almost pornographic transparency. However, the whole thing would have looked better if the meeting had ended with an agreement, not a slamming of the door.
On the other hand, it may not be a great idea to let enemies of America watch at home, eating popcorn, the interior workings of White House diplomacy, its ways of negotiating, its strengths and weaknesses. Be that as it may, it is already public, and its impact is like that of a strong thump on the board of the geostrategic game of the moment.
I do not like the cornering of Zelensky as a guest, two against one and with a language he does not master. Nor do I find his attitude brilliant, his determination to be unmovable, or his strategy of threatening the United States with a bleak future if they do not support Ukraine. Perhaps the only gratifying moment of the brawl is when Trump warns Zelensky that he is in no position to say how the American nation will or will not feel if he loses the war.
On that most inspired issue, however, there is another grisly detail: Trump physically corners Zelensky and even rests his hand on his shoulder while shouting at him to be respectful of the United States. Diplomacy is important, because as the Republican president himself rightly observed, often the worst drawback to ending a war is rancor or personal hatred between the leaders of the contenders. And with such a tense atmosphere at the meeting, it is obvious that diplomacy died in the heat of the moment.
Trump and Vance Scold Zelensky
Trump has sent Zelensky to bed without dinner, there has been no signing of any agreement and, for the moment, the only one who is happy and laughing his head off is Putin. That’s not good news for the free world either. I know Trump has an uncanny ability to steer negotiations back on track, but the feeling this time is that neither Zelensky nor he will be able to sit down and talk again. That’s not good news for the free world either, because there is an urgent need to stop this stupid war.
Vance, who has given us several extraordinary speeches since entering the White House, sounded a bit ridiculous asking Zelensky to be grateful to the United States. Obviously he should be grateful, but the vice president of the most powerful nation in the world cannot demand basic courtesy and good manners as a requirement for a deal when what is at stake is a war. The Ukrainian cause is good or bad regardless of whether Zelensky says “thank you” or comes to the White House disguised as a YouTuber.
As days go by, the only thing that will become clear from this historic open meeting is that it is not a good idea to have important meetings in the open, and that Trump really wants to end this damn war. Interestingly, the usual European and American pacifists, the ones who are outraged when Israel responds to terrorist attacks in Gaza because it “hinders peace,” are happy with the whole world going to this war in Europe. That’s another thing I find suspicious. Even Macron, a guy who listens to a firecracker and goes under the bed, is now the world’s biggest warmonger on the Ukraine war. Suspicious.
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