Trump and Zelenskyy Clash in the Oval Office

What a difference twenty-four hours makes. Yesterday, President Donald Trump was walking back his recent criticisms of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, going as far as to say he could not believe that he had called Zelenskyy a “dictator.” Today, Trump held an acrimonious meeting with Zelenskyy that culminated in Ukrainian president being asked to leave the White House and a joint press conference being canceled.

The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting before the press pool spray, which Vice President JD Vance joined, has no precedent. Heads of government generally do not bicker in front of the cameras. But in today’s meeting, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III,” said that Ukraine does not “have the cards” to stay in its war with Russia, and insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had gone “through a hell of a lot with me” because of accusations the Kremlin sought to help Trump win the 2016 election. 

Trump followed up on the meeting with a Truth Social post accusing Zelenskyy of having “disrespected the United States of America.”

But the post notably also left the door open for Zelenskyy to get back in Trump’s good graces by saying that Ukraine “is ready for peace.”

Zelenskyy certainly has every incentive to heal the spat. Shortly after departing, he tweeted out his peace offering:

Those words may, or may not, be enough to placate Trump. Much may turn on whether he and his advisors read Zelenskyy’s words as sincere—or mocking their demands that he publicly thank the United States for its support.

So where do things go from here? The honest answer is that no one but Trump knows—and even he may not. Today’s outburst may have been spontaneous, or it may have been calculated. Trump’s chaotic and disruptive negotiating style, combined with his taste for performative acts meant to thrill his MAGA base and intimidate opponents, means either motivation is possible.

The main thing to watch for in the near term is whether Trump curtails U.S. weapons headed to Ukraine. Although he said in December that he might reduce U.S. military aid to Ukraine once in office, that has yet to happen. Ukraine’s ability to hold off Russia depends on maintaining the flow of U.S. weapons. Everything changes if that stops. Europe cannot make up the shortfall. So while the rhetorical fireworks between Trump (and Vance) and Zelenskyy grab the headlines—Trump himself said that today’s meeting made for “great television”—deeds matter more than words.

Trump no doubt believes that he came out of today’s exchange with Zelenskyy as the winner. But he may have complicated his effort to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. It has always been doubtful that Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to any terms other than the ones he dictates. Those include, among other things, that Ukraine concede territory beyond what Russia has already taken. Trump’s rebuke of Zelenskyy only encourages Putin belief that he will get what he wants if he stands firm. So Trump’s public spat with Zelenskyy hardly seems consistent with the art of the deal.

Trump could, of course, follow through on his implied threat today and wash his hands of Ukraine. But that entails big political risks for his presidency. Trump may think well of Putin, but most Americans do not. Leaving Ukrainians to the mercy of Russian forces could damage Trump as much as the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan hurt President Joe Biden.

What is clear from today’s meeting is that U.S. foreign policy under Trump will not follow the path that it has for the past eighty years, as if that point needed to be proved again. The forty-seventh president remains more focused on the alleged shortcomings of America’s friends than on standing up to a predatory power that threatens U.S. interests. That is a recipe for a more dangerous world. 

Oscar Berry assisted in the preparation of this post.