ARTICLE AD BOX
PoliticusUSA is ad-free and 100% reader-supported. You can support our work by becoming a subscriber.
It is clear now that Donald Trump met the Zelenskyy with Russian state media present in the Oval Office with the intention of humiliating the Ukrainian president.
However, the opposite outcome occurred when Trump and VP JD Vance tried to bully Zelenskyy.
Video:
Zelenskyy tried to explain to Trump and Vance that diplomacy with Putin won’t work because the Russian leader doesn’t keep his word, “ In 2019, I signed with him the deal. I signed with him, Macron, and Merkel. We signed ceasefire. Ceasefire. All of them told me that he will never go. We signed him gas contract. Gas contract. Yes. But after that, he broken 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, you are speaking about What? What you, what you, what do you mean?”
Vance had nothing but rhetoric to respond with, “ But if you know Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into 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 for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Zelenskyy asked Vance if he had been to Ukraine. Vance said no, but he has seen reports.
Zelenskyy said that someday in the future the United States will know what Ukraine is experiencing and Trump exploded into a tantrum of denial and delusion:
Don't tell us what we're gonna feel! We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're gonna feel.
Because you're in no position to dictate that. Remember this. You're in no position to dictate what we're gonna feel. We're gonna feel very good. We're gonna feel very good and very strong. You're right now not in a very good position. You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position, and he happens to be right about it.
You're not in a good position.
You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cars. Right now, you don't have, you're playing cards. 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.
It got so much worse, as Vance told Zelenskky to tell Trump thank you and be grateful to Trump, and Trump started ranting about Joe Biden and repeating Putin’s talking points.