Cnn
–
A version of this story appeared in the What Matters of CNN. To get it in your reception box, register for free here.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky exploded within what he called “the space of disinformation” that Russia created around the American president Donald Trump, but he may have endangered another American support for his country.
Not wanting to sit while Trump and Vice -President JD Vance projected an ambivalence of Swiss style on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Zelensky withdrew the gaming book of the world leader recognized for having treated with Trump – weakening and deference – and spoke.
The scene was contrasting with the public that Trump held with two other world leaders this week.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both wanted to encourage Trump to deal with Zelensky. Both deployed a flattery, with Macron remembering Trump’s visit to Notre Dame and Starmer deviating a letter from King Charles in hand.
Zelensky was in the White House to sign an agreement with the United States on rare land minerals to which Trump wants access in exchange for continuous military support. But Zelensky could not apparently support a revisionist story in which Putin is not considered a villain.
Trump, on the other hand, accused Zelensky of “playing with the Second World War”.
The resulting oval shout match, led in front of journalists, was an unprecedented show in front of the television cameras in the White House.
Trump subsequently expelled Zelensky from the White House and published a statement on social networks.
“President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he considers that our involvement gives him a great advantage in negotiations,” wrote Trump on social networks. “I don’t want more, I want peace. It was missing in the United States of America in his Oval Office darling. He can come back when he is ready for peace. »»
Americans are not used to seeing Trump’s video visibly turned upside down – and certainly not to the chief of a democracy that the United States supported military aid.
Vance also spoke and sparked the argument when he said that the United States condemning Putin during the Biden administration had only brought years of war.
“The way to peace and the path of prosperity may be embarking on diplomacy,” said Vance, defending Trump’s apparent confidence in Putin. “We tried the way of Joe Biden, to fight our chest,” said Vance.
Zelensky a countered that Putin has already broken the agreements, like the one Reached in 2019When Trump was in office. Zelensky did not mention it, but this agreement was concluded at a time when Trump was preparing to face his first indictment trial, for having retained aid to Ukraine and putting pressure on the Ukrainians to investigate Bidbiden.
Vance and Trump accused Zelensky of not being grateful enough to help Zelensky and Ukraine received from the United States, and they also criticized Biden. Zelensky said he had worked with Biden because he was who had been American voters at the time.
While Zelensky tried to intervene with more thanks during the appearance of the oval office, Trump reprimanded him, saying that the war would have been finished in “two weeks” without American military aid. Trump also inflated the amount of American aid to Ukraine, which is less than $ 200 billionBy saying that it was $ 350 billion.
It was at the time that Zelensky cut Trump, accusing Trump to Trump of using Putin’s discussion that war would have been finished in three days without American support for Ukraine.
Trump clearly has the animus towards Zelensky and feels kinship with Putin.
“Putin has gone through a lot with me,” said Trump. “He crossed a shack of witches where they used it and Russia. Russia, Russia, Russia. »»
This is a reference to the evaluation of the American intelligence community that Russia has mixed with the 2016 elections in order to help Trump’s campaign. A special advice survey that resulted found multiple contacts between Trump’s campaign and the Russians, but has not found enough evidence to allege collusion. The investigation overshadowed a large part of Trump’s first mandate.
Now, back to power, Trump does not consider Putin as an enemy.
“Donald Trump changed aside during the war, and I think that is the context of the confrontation we have just seen,” said Susan Glasser, a journalist who wrote a book on the rise of Putin in Russia.
In Russia, officials borrowed Trump’s discussion points to rent the American president for giving Zelensky lectures.
“The insolent pork finally obtained an appropriate slap in the oval office and @realdonaldtrump is right: the kyiv regime” plays with the Second World War “,” said Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Putin government official, in a post on X.
Zelensky, on the other hand, went to X to thank the United States again and Trump for their support, as if the collapse had never happened.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. THANKS @PotusCongress and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we work exactly for that. »»
But the damage can be irreparable. Even the supporters of Ukraine in the GOP, such as Senator Lindsay Graham from South Caroline, wondered if Zelensky could be a partner.
“I don’t know if we can do business again with Zelensky,” Graham said outside the White House on Friday.
This title has been updated.