By Swastika Chowdhury
What started as a smooth and light-hearted conversation in the Oval Office at the White House on 28th February took a dramatic turn when President Trump ended up calling the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy ‘disrespectful’ and ‘dictator’. The much anticipated mineral deal which was to be signed by Zelenskyy was called off the table after the confrontation which included both President Trump and Vice-President JD Vance.
Present at the Oval Office, which is the conference space where traditionally the US signatories meet with other foreign ministers, is where Trump and Zelenskyy gathered to formalize the deal on rare minerals and maintain Trump’s support. From handshakes to commenting on Zelenskyy’s outfit which was ‘a less military than usual’ the meeting took a sharp turn when Trump publicly criticized Zelenskyy for being ungrateful and for years of US assistance to Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to the US President, Zelenskyy should express more gratitude for all the aforementioned assistance which he had received from the US during the conflict. While all the Ukrainian president was expecting at the White House on Friday, was for a peaceful talk with Donald Trump, which would thereby lead to signing the rare mineral deal which would give the US a role in Ukraine’s future.
“From the very beginning of the war, we have been alone and we are thankful” later in the meeting Zelenskyy said to which Trump fired back “You haven’t been left alone. We gave you- through this stupid president (referred to the former president, Joe Biden) $350 billion.
After being questioned by the Vice-President Vance, regarding Ukraine’s military and conscription to Zelenskyy, he stated and I quote, “During the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have a nice ocean and don’t feel it now, but you will feel it in the future. To this Trump reacted strongly stating in a very sharp tone, “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel”
Lastly, several unprofessional remarks like these were passed and this was rather a very juvenile conversation between the two global leaders which out of one was Trump himself. The netizens were shocked to have seen Zelenskyy bullied that way in a public forum.