So, rather upsettingly for those of us living in Europe who enjoy relative peace and democracy, it looks like Trump has fully flown the cuckoo nest and gone completely bonkers, and has effectively just green-lit Russia to pulverise Ukraine into nothingness. Unfortunately, we all know that it's unlikely Russia will stop at Ukraine's borders - at least not long-term. Putin envisions a "reunification" of the old Soviet Union and he will use whatever means at his disposal to get what he wants, that much is clear.
In case anyone missed today's developments - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c625ex282zzt - well worth a read. Here's the salient points:
It is no understatement to say that this was, for Zelensky coming here today, the most critical diplomatic and political moment for him and his country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
This has descended into an extraordinary and unprecedented moment of tension, exploding in the Oval Office. Basically, a public dressing down of the Ukrainian leader by Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance. It began by Vance saying to Zelensky that the war had to be ended through diplomacy. What kind of diplomacy, Zelensky replied. He was then accused by the vice-president of being disrespectful. This then escalated very quickly in those remarkable pictures you have just seen and heard. Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for three years of American support, telling him he was in no position to tell the US how it should feel about it.
The Oval Office meeting, from a Ukrainian perspective, was a worst case scenario. Rarely, if ever, are such tensions so starkly evident in front of the world's cameras. At one point, Ukraine's ambassador to the US appeared to have her head in her hands, clearly displeased with the way the meeting was going. These tensions have been brewing for some time.
Just last week, for example, Trump repeatedly called Zelensky a "dictator", while refusing to use the same term for Putin. Zelensky, for his part, said that Trump was living in a "disinformation space" created by Russia - a jab that elicited a strongly-worded and angry response from the US president.
The US-proposed rare minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine has not been signed, according to a White House spokesperson. Earlier today, Trump said the pair would sign it during their joint news conference, which has since been cancelled.
So - what I suspected would happen has essentially panned out - Trump refused to give Ukrainians the security guarantees they wanted and were pushing for, and as a result Zelensky has used the only bargaining chip he had left at his disposal which is to pull the minerals deal that Trump is essentially forcing him to sign off the table and let Trump sweat on it.
Question is now, who gives out? Natural instinct says Zelensky will be the one to give in and to go back to Trump tail between his legs willing to sign the deal, but the reaction we've seen from European nations has me somewhat doubting this now. Everyone major has come out in strong vocal support of Ukraine, and very quickly, too. I mean, they all know Trump is an utter madman and effectively a lunatic, but it still does surprise me to effectively see so many world leaders now stating such things almost publicly.
The real question I'd like us to consider and I'd like to know others answers on is this - do you think today's developments have effectively delivered a victory pass for Russia and Vladimir Putin?
In case anyone missed today's developments - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c625ex282zzt - well worth a read. Here's the salient points:
It is no understatement to say that this was, for Zelensky coming here today, the most critical diplomatic and political moment for him and his country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
This has descended into an extraordinary and unprecedented moment of tension, exploding in the Oval Office. Basically, a public dressing down of the Ukrainian leader by Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance. It began by Vance saying to Zelensky that the war had to be ended through diplomacy. What kind of diplomacy, Zelensky replied. He was then accused by the vice-president of being disrespectful. This then escalated very quickly in those remarkable pictures you have just seen and heard. Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for three years of American support, telling him he was in no position to tell the US how it should feel about it.
The Oval Office meeting, from a Ukrainian perspective, was a worst case scenario. Rarely, if ever, are such tensions so starkly evident in front of the world's cameras. At one point, Ukraine's ambassador to the US appeared to have her head in her hands, clearly displeased with the way the meeting was going. These tensions have been brewing for some time.
Just last week, for example, Trump repeatedly called Zelensky a "dictator", while refusing to use the same term for Putin. Zelensky, for his part, said that Trump was living in a "disinformation space" created by Russia - a jab that elicited a strongly-worded and angry response from the US president.
The US-proposed rare minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine has not been signed, according to a White House spokesperson. Earlier today, Trump said the pair would sign it during their joint news conference, which has since been cancelled.
So - what I suspected would happen has essentially panned out - Trump refused to give Ukrainians the security guarantees they wanted and were pushing for, and as a result Zelensky has used the only bargaining chip he had left at his disposal which is to pull the minerals deal that Trump is essentially forcing him to sign off the table and let Trump sweat on it.
Question is now, who gives out? Natural instinct says Zelensky will be the one to give in and to go back to Trump tail between his legs willing to sign the deal, but the reaction we've seen from European nations has me somewhat doubting this now. Everyone major has come out in strong vocal support of Ukraine, and very quickly, too. I mean, they all know Trump is an utter madman and effectively a lunatic, but it still does surprise me to effectively see so many world leaders now stating such things almost publicly.
The real question I'd like us to consider and I'd like to know others answers on is this - do you think today's developments have effectively delivered a victory pass for Russia and Vladimir Putin?
