Trump ZELENSKY Meeting washington (AP) — It took 90 seconds for the spectacular fashion of weeks of tortured diplomacy to calm down. President Donald Trump’s Oval Office brawl with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday set off a full-court press briefing by U.S. allies aimed at reviving Trump’s resolve to end Russia’s aggression, even if the terms were not to Ukraine’s liliking.t was the kind of bold move Trump feels he has made to redirect U.S. foreign policy priorities toward his “America First” agen agenda. sudden outburst was the most heated public exchange between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory, as the usual stalemate of diplomacy descended into finger-pointing, shouting shouting,inkinwinking.ncounter threatens the future of U.S.-Ukraine relationrelations.s Kiev’s ability to defend itself in a brutal conflict with Russia in grave jeopardy. jeopardy.al or we’re out,” Trump told Zelensky, emphasizing his plan to either order a quick end to the war or allow his longtime ally to continue fighting without his strong support. Lessupport.day later, Zelensky used a series of posts on Twitter to thank the American people, Trump and ConTrump, for “all the support,” something Ukrainians have “always appreciated,” especially during the war. “Our rewar.nship with the American president is more than just two leaders; it’s a historic and strong bond between our people. That’s why I always start with words of gratitude from our nation to the American people,” Ukrainians “want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we have them.” Zelenskthem.”n London to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a summit of European leaders on Sunday. WashingtSunday.nning episode capped a week of what turned out to be a largely futile effort by U.S. allies to try to distance Trump from his flirtations with Moscow and to try to deflect disagreements between Washington and Kaiv. On Monday, FKiev.President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump to lay the groundwork for a final European-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine aimed at deterring future Russian aggression and to encourage the U.S. president to be more skeptical of Vladimir Putin. But while TruPutin.Macron have greeted each other, the United States has been divided with its European allies at the United Nations, refusing to blame Russia for the invasion of Ukraine in a series of resolutions marking the third anniversary of the war. On Thursday, Britwar.rime Minister Keir Starmer visited Washington and appealed to Trump for a U.S. “backstop” for European countries providing front-line security for Ukraine. He was essentially seeking assurances that, if a peace deal were reached, Russia would not resume hostilities in the future. Starmer softened the question with flattery and an invitation to a state visit from King Charles III. The tactic seemed tIII.k, with Trump striking a more conciliatory tone toward Ukraine, calling America’s support for the country against Russian aggression “a very worthy thing” and denying any memory of him calling Ukraine’s leader a “dictator.” But Trump also“dictator.”de past broken diplomatic promises to Putin, claiming they had been made under different presidents and saying the Russian leader had not broken promises to him. It came as his aides were planning a series of negotiating sessions with Russian officials to lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between Trump and Putin in the coming weeks. All the while, Trump weeks. on securing a financial stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals in order to recoup the tens of billions the United States has given Kiev for its defense. Meanwhile, Zelensky wanted more than Washington’s vague promise that the United States would work to protect its economic interests in Ukraine under the deal and push for more specific security guarantees. But Trump would no guarantees. U.S. officials have repeatedly said that Zelensky would not be welcome to meet with the president to discuss Trump’s push for talks with Russia until it was signed. After weeks of pushback, Zelensky’s government formally agreed to the proposal on Wednesday, clearing the way for Friday’s meeting. It started out amicablymeeting.p and Zelensky spoke politely, complimenting each other, for the first half hour of the meeting. Trump / Even suggested continuing some military aid to Ukraine until he reached a permanent peace deal with Russia. But when the Ukrainian leader raised concerns about trusting any promise from Putin to end the war, Vice President J.D. Vance rebuked him for expressing disagreement with Trump. That instantly changed the tone of the conversation. Zelensky became defensive, and Trump and his vice president called him ungrateful and “disrespectful.”
