It Was an Ambush
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Leave aside, if only for a moment, the utter boorishness with which President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance treated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today. Also leave aside the spectacle of American leaders publicly pummeling a friend as if he were an enemy. All of the ghastliness inflicted on Zelensky today should not obscure the geopolitical reality of what just happened: The president of the United States ambushed a loyal ally, presumably so that he can soon make a deal with the dictator of Russia to sell out a European nation fighting for its very existence.
Trump’s advisers have already declared the meeting a win for “putting America first,” and his apologists will likely spin and rationalize this shameful moment as just a heated conversation—the kind of thing that in Washington-speak used to be called a “frank and candid exchange.” But this meeting reeked of a planned attack, with Trump unloading Russian talking points on Zelensky (such as blaming Ukraine for risking global war), all of it designed to humiliate the Ukrainian leader on national television and give Trump the pretext to do what he has indicated repeatedly he wants to do: side with Russian President Vladimir Putin and bring the war to an end on Russia’s terms. Trump is now reportedly considering the immediate end of all military aid to Ukraine because of Zelensky’s supposed intransigence during the meeting.
Vance’s presence at the White House also suggests that the meeting was a setup. Vance is usually an invisible backbencher in this administration, with few duties other than some occasional trolling of Trump’s critics. (The actual business of furthering Trump’s policies is apparently now Elon Musk’s job.) This time, however, he was brought in to troll not other Americans, but a foreign leader. Marco Rubio—in theory, America’s top diplomat—was also there, but he sat glumly and silently while Vance pontificated like an obnoxious graduate student.
Read: At least now we know the truth
Zelensky objected, as he should have, when the vice president castigated the Ukrainian president for not showing enough personal gratitude to Trump. And then in a moment of immense hypocrisy, Vance told Zelensky that it was “disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.” But baiting Zelensky into fighting in front of the media was likely the plan all along, and Trump and Vance were soon both yelling at Zelensky. (“This is going to be great television,” Trump said during the meeting.) The president at times sounded like a Mafia boss—“You don’t have the cards”; “you’re buried there”—but in the end, he sounded like no one so much as Putin himself as he hollered about “gambling with World War III,” as if starting the biggest war in Europe in nearly a century was Zelensky’s idea.
After the meeting, Trump dismissed the Ukrainian leader and then issued a statement that could only have pleased Moscow:
I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.
Trump might as well have dictated this post on Truth Social before the meeting, because Zelensky didn’t stand a chance of having an actual discussion at the White House. When he showed Trump pictures of brutalized Ukrainian soldiers, Trump shrugged. “That’s tough stuff,” he muttered. Perhaps someone told Zelensky that Trump doesn’t read much, and reacts to images, but Trump, uncharacteristically, seems to have been determined to stay on message and pick a fight.
Vance, for his part, fully inhabited the role of a smarmy talk-show sidekick, jumping in to make sure the star got the support he needed while slamming one of the guests. The vice president is an unserious man who tries to insert himself into serious moments, but this time the stakes were much higher than the usual dustups with the media or congressional Democrats. He chuckled as Brian Glenn, a journalist from the right-wing channel Real America’s Voice who is reportedly dating Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, asked Zelensky the tough and incisive question of why he had not worn a suit in the Oval Office. (Perhaps he’ll ask Musk why he wore a hat and T-shirt to a Cabinet meeting, but I doubt it.)
The sheer rudeness shown to a foreign guest and friend of the United States was (to use a word) deplorable as a matter of manners and grace, but worse, Trump and Vance acted like a couple of online Kremlin sock puppets instead of American leaders. They pushed talking points that they either knew or should have known were wrong. Even if Zelensky were as fluent and capable in English as Winston Churchill, he would never have been able to rebut the flood of falsehoods. No, the U.S. has not given Ukraine $350 billion; yes, Zelensky has repeatedly expressed his thanks to America and to Trump; no, Zelensky was not attacking the administration. The Ukrainian leader did his best to stand up to the bullying, but Trump and Vance were playing to the cameras and the MAGA gallery at home.
Vance showed how dedicated he was to point-scoring rather than policy making with an observation so shallow that he was lucky that Zelensky was too off-balance to call him out for it. To emphasize Ukraine’s perilous situation, Vance noted that Zelensky was sending conscripts to the front lines, as if this was an unprecedented policy that only the most desperate regime would dare enact. Zelensky said that all nations at war have problems, but he might have pointed out to Vance that Ukraine is fighting for its very existence, while the United States has dragged conscripts to places far from home—including Korea and Vietnam—to fight against troops supported by the Kremlin.
Today’s meeting and America’s shameful vote in the United Nations on Monday confirmed that the United States is now aligned with Russia and against Ukraine, Europe, and most of the planet. I felt physically sick watching the president of the United States yell at a brave ally, fulminating in the Oval Office as if he were an addled old man shaking his fist at a television. Zelensky has endured tragedies, and risked his life, in ways that men such as Trump and Vance cannot imagine. (Vance served as a public-relations officer in the most powerful military in the world; he has never had to huddle in a bunker during a Russian bombardment.) I am ashamed for my nation; even if Congress acts to support and aid Ukraine, it cannot restore the American honor lost today.
But no matter how disgusted anyone might be at Trump and Vance’s behavior, the strategic reality is that this meeting is a catastrophe for the United States and the free world. America’s alliances are now in danger, and should be: Trump is openly, and gleefully, betraying everything America has tried to defend since the defeat of the Axis 80 years ago. The entire international order of peace and security is now in danger, as Russian autocrats, after slaughtering innocent people for three years, look forward to enjoying the spoils of their invasion instead of standing trial for their crimes. (Shortly after Trump dismissed Zelensky from the White House, Putin’s homunculus, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, posted on X: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”)
Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy, the beginning of a long-term disaster that every American, every U.S. ally, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy will have to endure. With the White House’s betrayal of Ukraine capping a month of authoritarian chaos in America, Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think: one of us.
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“The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”
Not the first time today I've come across that sentiment today. Medvedev is Russia's Vance and NT's _____ .
in a hilarious twist of american irony, those most worried about mental clarity in the white house 7 months ago were treated to a demonstration of a complete lack of it today ...
the orange menace obviously thought he was at another of his campaign rallies by trying to re-litigate both the 2016 and 2020 elections, again ...
what a fucking incompetent buffoon ...
trumpski was hoping for an apprentice TV moment to sell his new alliance with putin to his mentally challenged devotees.
Oh, cool! Fill in the blank. I would say Richard, but that would be giving it too much credit.
I'm just trying to figure out which Lindsey Graham to agree with, he's always right.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day!
OTOH, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut!
So Zelensky is just a dummy who was outwitted by Trump and Vance who masterminded the whole show. That's the defense now?
If it was bait, what the hell were Trump and Vance fishing for and for who? Do enjoy travelling abroad for the next decade at a minimum.
It's a silly idea. Trump would have just said "No" rather than staging an elaborate set piece that hinges on Zelensky not being able to restrain himself.
Ridiculous
You too. Canadians get mistaken for Americans all the time.
Have fun out there.
Canadian travellers can prove they're Canadian by showing their passport. American have to sew Canadian flags on their backpacks or buy and wear a Canadian flag pin. And I'll bet Europeans are getting a lot smarter about that than they were back in the days when I travelled in Europe.
Are Europeans violent bigots who attack Americans just for being Americans? What a horrible statement on Europeans if that's true. I've never had a problem, but maybe I don't look weak enough to be preyed upon by the type of people of people who stoop to that.
OMG!B
Bigotry. S-o-o-o shocking. I feel your grief...
And miss out on being the talk of the day? Nevuh!
One thing is always certain Buzz, things always change .
the year i spent in western Europe , i had no problems , but then again , i didnt try and hide the fact i was from the US or that i was a US service member stationed there for a short time . I DID think myself lucky that i was there for the 40th anniversary of the end of WW2 the attitude was different because of that i believe , and the fact i wasnt squatting on base but going out and seeing the different cultures of different countries and places , helped with overcoming some of the "American arrogance " some expected . I used my off time to actually try to learn some things and they saw that .
About the only negative i did experience was the men complained that americans always had the local girls around them . even then that wasnt a problem .
My Gramps who served in Europe warned me though , that the complaint about yanks , over paid , over sexed and over there would always exist .
Did I say Europeans would "attack" Americans? Yet again implied words are put in my mouth that I didn't say. I would not be surprised now with how Trump and Vance just bullied and humiliated Zelenskyy that Americans would be despised and shunned, but that's NOT "attacked".
at Americans would be despised and shunned,
Lol. Despising and shunning someone simply because of their country of origin. Again, very bigoted behavior.
Americans aren't so close minded and judgmental I guess.
Women seem to have the most problems in Europe. They get harassed the most.
Did I say ALL Americans? LOL Proof of what I said about your replies to me. Did you really expect that anyone who knows what Trump has been doing vis-a-vis the other nations in the world is going to love America's leader who so many Americans put in that position and thereby represents America and Americans? Hey, I don't hate Americans - my son having obtained dual citizenship is now also an American, my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren are Americans, I have friends here on NT that are Americans. Your comments are a lot more accusatory than they need to be - is that a sign of some kind of personal problem?
So what worse thing is his administration doing that they do not want attention drawn to???
Because it’s great tv, according to the least intelligent man on earth.
Yes. You said Americans. Not some.
hat Trump has been doing vis-a-vis the other nations in the world is going to love America's leade
XI certainly treats other countries terribly. Should Chinese tourists be despised and shunned because of XI?
our comments are a lot more accusatory than they need to be
Lol You said Americans " Americans have to sew Canadian flags on their backpacks or buy and wear a Canadian flag pin."
Why? Why would they "have to" unless they are being harassed or treated poorly? You claimed they would be despised or shunned just for being American. That's a bigotry problem.
Long ago I hitched around Europe. It was during the War on Viet-Nam.
Lots of students from all over the world were hitch-hiking. They all sewed flags of their country on the back of their knapsacks. Americans sewed on Canadian flags-- because many Europeans were angered over the U.S. role in the war, so people identified as Americans rarely got rides.
Grammar Lesson
If I say "Americans voted for Trump" it did not mean the ALL Americans voted for him, but that those who did were Americans. Apply that to what you think I meant.
Truth vs Disinformation
The statement "Xi treats other countries terribly" is a false generalization, especially when compared with how Trump treats other countries. You cannot prove your accusation. Even if you can come up with one or two examples it is miniscule compared to Trump.
Disinformation Correction
A majority of Americans who voted chose Trump to be their leader, so they are responsible for his being the leader of all Americans and representing America and all Americans to the world. The Chinese people did not vote for Xi, so they are not personally responsible for his being their leader and representing them although he is and does.
Clarification
When I said "American have to sew Canadian flags on their backpacks or buy and wear a Canadian flag pin." it was in comparison to Canadians being able to show that they are Canadians by showing their passports" so of course what I said only applied if they tried to show that they were Canadians instead of Americans. Sorry if that was not obvious to you.
Therefore...
Your final paragraph is rendered uncalled for by all of the above.
You don't have to tell me since it would be no surprise to me, tell the person who challenged me.
Oh Sean-- you are such a Silly Goose!
but typical...
Zelensky behaved as an adult. Vance started the blame game and Trump followed willingly. No amount of pontification can make that not so. You don't believe me? Watch the whole press conference. You and your fellows who are gloating about how Trump stuck it to Zelensky had ought to realize (but probably don't, yet) that ever since he assumed the Presidency, Donald Trump has acted as a buffoon, each day descending further into the depths of isolationism. I could hope that this will be the final act stupidity, that he will somehow see this is his low point, but he is Trump and will metaphorically die by the same sword as he lived by. Unfortunately, he is the leader (ha, fat lot of good that did) of the US and is busily destroying both our credibility and our good will world wide.
Only to leftists that hate Trump did the faux John Wayne in tailor made khakis behave as an adult.
Zelensky was frothing that the mouth attacking Putin in front of a media that was lapping it up. Just what you need when heading into negotiations.
Zelensky thinks the US owes Ukraine. We owe them a swift kick in the ass, and even faster departure of US aid and military gear.
Zelensky knew damn well what he was doing- poisoning the waters for any negotiation- and making demands he knows will never be met expecting Trump to back him up.
Hey leftists Ukraine needs fodder for the Russian meat grinder now more than ever; so head on over whatever your age. Get your 15 minute training on how to load your weapon and be shipped directly to the front lines. The Russian meat grinder is waiting- it never gets clogged- and runs in both directions at the same time.
Be happy, the war in Ukraine will go on. Hopefully w/o the US being involved in any way. Maybe Europe will finally come through on all of their promises to Ukraine for once. Zelensky had better being praying really damn hard to whatever deity he believes in.
Please show me where he was doing this. I watched the whole press conference and I did not see either him acting strangely or the press eating it up, because it was a press conference. He spoke reasonably and to the points that he was making. He was the best behaved of the three, by far. Vance started in with the attacks and Trump willingly followed.
I think you were watching another press conference. The one I saw had Zelensky behaving himself and not rising to the bait. He stayed remarkably calm for one who was here in an effort to get the support his country needs. Trump, what a waste of life.
These people are ridiculous the sooner we ALL realize that and admit that the better.
ever since he assumed the Presidency, Donald Trump has acted as a buffoon
You are too kind. This entitled prick has been a buffoon his whole life.
One obvious sign that nobody seems to have mentioned is how Trump routinely makes the idiotic claim that this war would never have happened if he had been in the White House. A glaringly stupid comment that is the intellectual equivalent of proving a negative. Yet when a reporter asks a what-if question he doesn’t like, he responds with “what if a bomb lands on your head.” This is beyond buffoonery.
While its still a ways away, the Midterms will be approaching, My guess is that the Dems will sweep both the House and the Senate.
Think about it-- even if you were regularly a Republican voter-- if DOGE fired you from what you thought of as a secure job-- fired for no good reason-- would you vote Republican in the upcoming midterms?
(All the while while inflation-- and prices-- kept going up because of Trump's tariffs and other bizarre economic policies....)
While that is true, I was concentrating on his latest buffoonery.
I watched the encounter-- and no, Zelenskiy was definitely not "frothing at the mouth".
From your lips to God's ears, unless the Republican lawmakers grow up and gain personal integrity.
People will remember this day and what shame Trump brought to the United States
I heard the entire 1 hour episode.
Zelensky brought the shame. He is going home now empty handed. No billions in US aid. No nothing.
Hopefully Trump will stick to his word and end all US involvement with Ukraine. It is a European issue now.
Zelensky most certainly did not bring any shame on himself.
Zelensky remained cool while Vance pulled a giant Karen...
A grown man, Vice President, acting like a Real Housewife!
Ronin2
That is absolutely nonsensical
Trump's behavior, especially in a public setting, was shameful and disgraceful for a supposed leader
Nonsense.
All that will change is now Zelenskiy will get more aid from the Europeans.
Actually something else will change-- if the U.S. stops giving military aid to Ukraine, some Amercans in U.S. Defense plants will work fewer hour, possible a few will get laid off.
Actually something else will change-- if the U.S. stops giving military aid to Ukraine, some Amercans in U.S. Defense plants will work fewer hours, possible a few will get laid off.
Just realized-- another thing will probably change as well-- if Trump keeps the U.S. from getting Ukraine's rare earth minerals, some European countries will instead.
Now that's funny. Good one.
I'm sure that's the reaction in Kiev right now.
that 105mm ammo plant at the Scranton Army Depot that Vance interpreted as a campaign ad against he and Trump
will be shuttered between the contract being completed or canceled along with DOGE layoffs.
Really getting tired of the short sighted retribution and revenge of the thin skinned. We deserve better than this.
Here’s a transcript of the meeting from when the video recording began.
Zelenskyy: Yes, yes, but after that, he broke the ceasefire. He killed our people and he didn’t exchange prisoners. We signed the exchange of prisoners. But he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you asking me about? What do you mean?
Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.
Zelenskyy: Yes, but if—
Vance: Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president—
Zelenskyy: Have you ever been to Ukraine that you are saying what problems we have?
Vance: I’ve actually watched and seen the stories and I know what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had problems with bringing people into your military? And do you think that is respectful for—
Zelenskyy: I will answer you—
Vance: To come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to try to prevent the destruction of your country.
Zelenskyy: A lot of questions, let’s start from the beginning. First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future. God bless, you know. God bless you and bless you.
Trump: You don’t know that. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.
Zelenskyy: I’m not telling you—
Zelenskyy: From the very beginning of the war—
Trump: You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
Zelenskyy: I’m not playing cards.
Trump: Yeah, you’re playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you. Far more than a lot of people said they should have.
Vance: Have you said thank you once, this entire meeting?
Zelenskyy: A lot of times. Even today.
Vance: No, in this entire meeting.
Zelenskyy: Even today.
Vance: You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.
Zelenskyy: Please. You think that if you will speak very loudly about the war—
Trump: He’s not speaking loudly. He’s not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble.
Zelenskyy: Can I answer?
Trump: No, no. You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
Zelenskyy: I know.
Trump: You’re not winning. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out, OK? Because of us.
Zelenskyy: Mr. President. We have stayed in our country, staying strong. From the very beginning of the war when being alone. And we are thankful, I said thank you.
Trump: You haven’t been alone. You haven’t been alone. We gave you, through this stupid president, $350 billion. We gave you military equipment. And your men are brave. But they had to use our military. If you didn’t have our military equipment, if you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.
Zelenskyy: In three days, I’ve heard it from Putin. In three days. This is something—
Trump: Maybe less. It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this again.
Vance: Just say thank you.
Zelenskyy: I said a lot of times, thank you to the American people.
Vance: Accept that there are disagreements and let’s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when you’re wrong. We know that you’re wrong.
Trump: Well, you see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. That’s why I kept this going so long. You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers. You’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing… and then you tell us I don’t want a ceasefire. I don’t want a ceasefire. I want to go. And I want this. Look, if you could get a ceasefire right now, I tell you, you take it. So the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.
Zelenskyy: Of course, I want to stop the war.
Trump: But you’re saying you don’t want a ceasefire. I want a ceasefire. Because you’ll get a ceasefire faster—
Zelenskyy: Ask our people about a ceasefire, what they think.
Trump: That wasn’t with me. That was a guy named Biden who is not a smart person. Excuse me, that was with Obama, who gave you sheets and I gave you javelins.
Zelenskyy: Yes.
Trump: I gave you the javelins to take out all those tanks. Obama gave you sheets. In fact, the statement is Obama gave sheets and Trump gave javelins. You got to be more thankful because let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. But without us, you don’t have any cards.
SOURCE: Canada's Global News.
LINK -> Read the transcript of Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance’s chaotic meeting - National | Globalnews.ca
Let me make you an offer you cannot refuse.
Head on over to Ukraine. I hear the trench warfare, constant shelling, with sprinkled in drone attacks is wonderful anytime of year.
They are taking anyone now. Get your 15 minutes of training and head straight to the front lines.
Just watch out for the rampant fascists on both sides.
I don't employ a singer, nor do I run a movie studio and I certainly don't own a horse.
I didnt see it , but after reading that transcript i would say things tripped into cluster fuck territory rather quickly , reminded me of 3 monkeys trying to fuck a greased football.
My suspicion is there is likely some rather urgent discussions being held within the EU community membership about what is to be done or not done with this development .
I saw part of it - it was on the CGTN news this morning. Often when Zelenskyy tried to reply Triump talked over him not letting him make a point - it was a horrible scene. I have never seen anything like it between government leaders in all my life.
Sounds like you gave been reading the Russian training manual..
Wonder how the North Koreans are fairing these days.. wonder if they are still shooting Russians mistaking them for Ukrainians...
We can only hope...
You left off the most important bit..
Trump: You’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest, that’s not a nice thing.
All right, I think we’ve seen enough. What do you think? Great television. I will say that.
Enough said..not half planned!!!
Then maybe Canada's Global News left it off, not me.
I don't think she was accusing you, Buzz.
I guess I misinterpreted the meaning of the word "You" when it's used in a reply to my comment.
Arvo... Thomas was correct Buzz...that's a bit slack of the Canadian news service..
Got it word for word off the Australian Guardian news service..and others when I heard someone mention a set up...
I thought that last paragraph spoke volumes about the meeting and the Orange one....wonder why they left it off...
I don't know why they left it off, shona. If you open the link you can see it for yourself.
Probably take away from the Trump rant and make better headlines...who knows with the media...
And let's not forget "The Golden Statues".
(Shona's most excellent comment on the Trump Gaza Video)
Yowza!
Perhaps this man can y'all understand what went on today.
Victor Davis Hanson: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is No Winston Churchill
Who said he was?
I asked a question yesterday, that if Trump wants to play Chamberlain by appeasing his saddle buddy Putin
who will step up to be the world's next Churchill?
Thanks, Buzz. You made me laugh.
Don't snach defeat from the jaws of victory because of a temper tantrum and shouting match.
Winning the war is more important than posturing and yelling for TV
This meeting should have been behind closed doors
Makes me wonder if what happened wasnt a scripted act for public consumption ....
You might be right.
OTOH, knowing Trump, it well might've been deliberate (to "energize his base").
I really don't know.
This meeting should have been behind closed doors
A leader would have had the meeting behind closed doors, but a reality TV star wants the cameras on him at all times and knows that making a scene and an ass of himself raises ratings
would not surprise me if this argument was not planned, so both can score points ,
sincerely doubt that, being a bully is how Trump lives not somethings he rehearses
From the article:
And a number of members on this very site are cheering it along.
A very small but predictable group. The First Amendment in action.
That doesn't mean we have to acknowledge them or engage them.
What was both Trump and Vance's term....?? Oh, yes. The Enemy Within