It was the ‘shout heard ‘round the world,’ and days later, it continues to echo. But it’s not simply the words frozen in memory, but the visuals, as well. A U.S. president, unrestrained by protocol, undressing a fellow national leader for the world to see.
That was the scene. President Donald Trump, flanked by his number two and the country’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, taking dead aim at Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington, ostensibly to sign an agreement that would turn over his country’s mineral rights in exchange for U.S. security guarantees and an end to Ukraine’s three-year war against Russia.
But cordiality came to a sudden and crashing end as Trump, raising his voice, waving his hands and physically poking his counterpart in the arm while telling Zelenskyy, to be “thankful,” for American support.
The Vice President, joining as a tag team partner, directly andonmished Zelenskyy. “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” but failing to dispute Trump’s often challenging arithmetic on military aid to Ukraine.
Actual figures on military support vastly differ from Trump’s math to the numbers released by the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan agency that provides objective research for Congress.
CRS calculates that since Russia invaded Ukraine, America has provided approximately $174-$183 billion in military aid to wage the war, about half the amount Trump suggests. “We’re in there for about $350 billion,” he regularly says.
Trump also has regularly states that American aid vastly surpasses that of Europe’s contribution to the fight while suggesting Ukraine has no way of repaying its allies.
But in recent Oval Office meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both heads of state gently corrected Trump’s figures. Macron diplomatically clarified that his country’s contributions were“real money,” and not loans.
But it wasn’t the problematic math that people were talking about after the confrontational sitdown. It was the departure from propriety on full display as the two leaders talked over one another.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out…I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace…He can come back when he is ready for peace,” Trump told Zelenskyy.
As the meeting ended, so too did the idea of a signed agreement to end the war. “He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office,” Trump said long after Zelenskyy had left. Essentially, no deal, but leaving a crack in the door for something in the future.
While the White House diplomatic blow-up may have shocked, it may not have been exactly surprising. Prior to the meeting, Trump had referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator,” and openly reframed the conflict as one where Ukraine and Russian roles were reversed.
Trump also shockingly distorted the history of the conflict to reporters. “You should have never started it; I could have made a deal for Ukraine…and no people would have been killed.” But it was not Ukraine who started the war. It was, indisputably, Russia.
Putin amassed thousands of troops and armaments on the Ukraine border and invaded Ukraine February 24th, 2022.
Also, in days preceding the White House sitdown, a Trump team of negotiators met in Saudi Arabia with Russian counterparts to discuss an end to the war. Ukraine was not invited.
Reaction, from Colorado to Washington to those of world leaders, has been swift in what they witnessed in the Oval Office meeting.
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham swooned over Trump’s performance. “I was never more proud of President Trump than I was yesterday.” But Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski had a completely different take, condemning Trump’s antics.
The Alaska senator was blunt in her assessment. “I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin,”
Fox News had its own take on the aborted agreement meet up, praising Trump and Vice President Vance’s two-fisted takedown of the Ukrainian President. “If he (Trump) doesn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize after this, that thing means nothing,” said Rachel Campos-Duffy, a Fox weekend anchor.
Citing Trump’s lack of “self-control” in the meeting, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet wasted no words condemning Trump. “Every time President Trump opens his mouth,” said Bennet, “he weakens Ukraine’s bargaining position, and ours.”
Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Diana DeGette and Jason Crow were also critical of the President. “The only person happy about how this played out is Putin,” said DeGette.
Crow said watching the event left him “completely shocked.” Trump’s departure from decorum, he said, “squandered” American leadership in the world.
Governor Jared Polis harshly criticized Trump’s seeming endorsement of Russia. “We will not cater to a brutal Russian dictator.”
The fallout from the Oval Office debacle resulted in a weekend meeting with Zelenskyy. European leaders pledged they would stand with Ukraine and Zelenskyy. “He retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace,” said Starmer. The statement did not include mention of Trump or Vance.
Zelenskyy reposted the statement on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, adding, “Thank you for your support.”
