 "Trump-Zelenskyy clash signals shift in US-Ukraine ties; experts weigh in on future of war and diplomacy")
synopsis
During a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy clashed over US military aid and Ukraine's war stance. Trump accused Zelenskyy of disrespect and halted support talks. Meanwhile, European nations reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine against Russia.
New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a fiery argument with his United States counterpart Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance on Friday during their first in-person meeting at Oval Office in Washington since Trump returned to power again this year.
The verbal spat between the two presidents triggered when the vice president, JD Vance told the Ukrainian President that the 'path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy'.
The heated talks among both the leaders lasted for 10 minutes and then Zelenskyy was told to leave the Oval Office.
It is a known fact that the United States has been one of the major suppliers of arms, ammunition and defence platforms to Ukraine against Russia. During the argument, Trump told him that the US had given $350 billion under a 'stupid president,' referring to his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Asianet Newsable spoke to several global political experts to understand the rapidly evolving dynamics between the US and Ukraine.
An expert and assistant professor of Centre for International Politics, Organisation & Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Sandip Kumar Singh, said: “The public spat in the Oval office has strained US-Ukraine relations, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being ‘disrespectful’ and ‘not ready for peace,’ while threatening to withdraw American military support.”
“Ukraine relies heavily on US aid— military and financial — to sustain its defense against Russia. If Trump follows through on reducing or ending this support, Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian advances will be weakened.”
“The personal relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy will play a significant role in shaping the future of this conflict,” Sandip Kumar Singh said.
Subhashish Banerjee, International Relations & Diplomatic expert said: “In diplomatic podiums playing cards as per interest might be the rule of the game. But the key is held in the hand of that player who knows when to play the right card. It seems Trump played the much awaited card of ‘Peace Loving USA’ at the right time in the oval office.”
Subhashish Banerjee, also a Founder & Head of Strategy at Kolkata-based think tank P3: People Policy Politics, said: “In this new age era of diplomatic image engineering ‘Peace Loving Nation’ seems going to be the modern narrative for the newly elected Trump Government.”
“In my opinion President Zelensky looked to be in some kind of hesitance in displaying his maturity as a leader of his territory in comparison to his stubbornness towards continuing the one-sided bloodbath at the cost of his own people. It is truly undeniable when the US President rightly pointed out the volume of aid and support being sent to the Ukranian and in the same loop he when mentioned the need to stop the war, explains the future strategic stand for the USA if Ukraine continues the war.”
“Transactional Politics and Economic corridors are important in building modern day foreign relations, and Trump's business minded approach seems to be certainly contradicting Zelensky's idea of getting US aid, the founder of P3 said.
“Also to notice an interesting change in the US and Russia relationship, it is not the same as it was supposed to be even a few years back, the new bond seems to be more transactional and an open market, which means the new world order is changing and economic opportunity will hold higher podium over muscle and thus conflicts need to take a back seat.”
“This kind of approach may look to be intensely diplomatic and an algorithm of a long term plan but it will obviously benefit Nations with the least tendency of indulgence and countries with deeper presence in welfare diplomacy,” he added.
After the heated argument, Trump posted on X that Zelenskyy can return 'when he is ready for peace'.
In the post, Trump also accused the Ukrainian leader of having "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office".
“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace," Trump added.
A day after the explosive meeting, wherein Zelenskyy was criticised by Trump over Russia-Ukraine war, the European leaders pledged their continued support for Ukraine and praised the Ukrainian President for battling against the Russian.
Countries rallying around Zelenskyy include France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Ireland, along with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Also read: Trump's support crucial, Ukraine wants 'just peace': Zelenskyy after Oval Office showdown
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