Trump and Vance's Criticism of Zelenskyy Upsets Many, yet Appeals to Russians and Republicans
Supporters of Ukraine are rallying to defend Kyiv in response to the U.S. president's in-person criticism, while critics argue that he brought it upon himself.
TroibNews 
Supporters of Ukraine in Washington and internationally reacted with dismay to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s recent disparaging remarks about Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Many viewed it as a troubling example of American bullying.
Conversely, Trump supporters interpreted the exchange as a necessary assertion of American strength toward an ungrateful ally. The Russians, naturally, were pleased with the outcome.
One unifying sentiment among observers was the astonishment at the exchanges occurring in the Oval Office three years into the Russia-Ukraine war. “Frankly, I still don’t know how to process what we just saw,” shared a foreign diplomat in Washington shortly after the meeting, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic and fears of retaliation from the White House.
At the State Department, already grappling with the potential reduction of U.S. diplomatic presence under a Trump administration, staff expressed disbelief that Trump would treat another nation's leader in such a dismissive way. “This guy isn’t just trying to save his country — he’s the finger in the dike for the rest of Europe,” a State Department official remarked about Zelenskyy. “First, we extort him, then we intentionally try to embarrass him.”
Mike Quigley, Co-Chair of the Ukraine Caucus, described the event as “the Trump-Vance clown show, and it’s horrifying” during an appearance on MSNBC. When asked about potential reactions from allies, he replied, “I don’t know if we have allies anymore.”
European leaders expressed their solidarity with Ukraine while indicating uncertainty about relying on the United States moving forward. “Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” posted Poland’s Donald Tusk.
Zelenskyy was in Washington partly to finalize a mineral deal that both parties had indicated would be completed Friday. However, the meeting took a surprising turn as Vance attempted to advocate for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A visibly upset Zelenskyy countered with a summary of the unsuccessful diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the war in eastern Ukraine, which dates back to the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The exchange escalated into a heated argument, with Trump stating, “You’re gambling with World War III,” and Vance questioning Zelenskyy’s gratitude for U.S. support, asking, “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
Following the altercation, Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, and two officials confirmed that no mineral deal was signed. A press conference that was supposed to include Zelenskyy and Trump was also canceled. On social media, Trump claimed that “President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace” and accused him of attempting to exploit U.S. support.
“That was a display of a president and vice president standing up for America,” reflected a White House aide after the meeting.
Pentagon officials remained silent on whether the day's events would affect the ongoing flow of weaponry and equipment to Ukraine, which had been pledged under the Biden administration. As of Friday, plans for weapon shipments to Ukraine were still in place, although discussions were active that evening regarding future steps, according to one administration source.
Requests for comments from State Department representatives went unanswered.
Those briefed prior to the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting had been confident that the mineral deal would be finalized. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly noted that she had spoken to Sen. Lindsey Graham just before the Oval Office meeting, and he was “quite optimistic” about signing the deal.
After the meeting, Graham described the encounter as “a complete, utter disaster,” warning Zelenskyy not to “take the bait” by engaging in a confrontation with Trump. “I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again … The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president was just over the top,” Graham stated. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change.”
Trump’s supporters in Congress celebrated what they viewed as a clear assertion of an unapologetic “America First” approach, with some even justifying a reduction in American aid to Kyiv. “Not another penny,” tweeted Sen. Roger Marshall alongside a video of the altercation.
The contentious exchange appeared to amuse officials in Moscow. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, remarked online about Zelenskyy, “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.” Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, commented during a live broadcast, “Zelenskyy is biting the hand that fed him.”
Michael Carpenter, who previously served as senior director for Europe on the National Security Council during the Biden administration, noted that the Kremlin stands to gain the most from the confrontation. He remarked that while Zelenskyy could have shown more appreciation for U.S. support and appeared more open to a diplomatic resolution, the harsh criticisms from Trump and Vance have significantly weakened Zelenskyy’s negotiating stance against Russia. “Ukraine is desperately fighting for its survival, and now it’s just received a body blow from its biggest military supporter,” Carpenter concluded.
For many Ukrainians, the moment was heart-wrenching yet illuminating. “Trump demanded Ukraine’s surrender. This is what ‘you have no cards in your hand’ meant — it meant you lost, surrender,” Ukrainian military analyst Mykhailo Samus opined in a Facebook post. “Was it possible to agree? I think there was no point. Because the U.S. was not going to help further.”
Zelenskyy took to social media to do what Vance — incorrectly — suggested he had not done and thanked the United States for its assistance thus far. “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people,” he wrote. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.” He also amplified the supportive messages from other leaders.
Contributors to this report include Jake Traylor, Dasha Burns, Veronika Melkozerova, Phelim Kine, Daniel Lippman, Eli Stokols, Seb Starcevic, Nicholas Wu, Joe Gould, Sue Allan, Jordain Carney, and Paul McLeary.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Conversely, Trump supporters interpreted the exchange as a necessary assertion of American strength toward an ungrateful ally. The Russians, naturally, were pleased with the outcome.
One unifying sentiment among observers was the astonishment at the exchanges occurring in the Oval Office three years into the Russia-Ukraine war. “Frankly, I still don’t know how to process what we just saw,” shared a foreign diplomat in Washington shortly after the meeting, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic and fears of retaliation from the White House.
At the State Department, already grappling with the potential reduction of U.S. diplomatic presence under a Trump administration, staff expressed disbelief that Trump would treat another nation's leader in such a dismissive way. “This guy isn’t just trying to save his country — he’s the finger in the dike for the rest of Europe,” a State Department official remarked about Zelenskyy. “First, we extort him, then we intentionally try to embarrass him.”
Mike Quigley, Co-Chair of the Ukraine Caucus, described the event as “the Trump-Vance clown show, and it’s horrifying” during an appearance on MSNBC. When asked about potential reactions from allies, he replied, “I don’t know if we have allies anymore.”
European leaders expressed their solidarity with Ukraine while indicating uncertainty about relying on the United States moving forward. “Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” posted Poland’s Donald Tusk.
Zelenskyy was in Washington partly to finalize a mineral deal that both parties had indicated would be completed Friday. However, the meeting took a surprising turn as Vance attempted to advocate for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A visibly upset Zelenskyy countered with a summary of the unsuccessful diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the war in eastern Ukraine, which dates back to the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The exchange escalated into a heated argument, with Trump stating, “You’re gambling with World War III,” and Vance questioning Zelenskyy’s gratitude for U.S. support, asking, “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
Following the altercation, Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, and two officials confirmed that no mineral deal was signed. A press conference that was supposed to include Zelenskyy and Trump was also canceled. On social media, Trump claimed that “President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace” and accused him of attempting to exploit U.S. support.
“That was a display of a president and vice president standing up for America,” reflected a White House aide after the meeting.
Pentagon officials remained silent on whether the day's events would affect the ongoing flow of weaponry and equipment to Ukraine, which had been pledged under the Biden administration. As of Friday, plans for weapon shipments to Ukraine were still in place, although discussions were active that evening regarding future steps, according to one administration source.
Requests for comments from State Department representatives went unanswered.
Those briefed prior to the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting had been confident that the mineral deal would be finalized. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly noted that she had spoken to Sen. Lindsey Graham just before the Oval Office meeting, and he was “quite optimistic” about signing the deal.
After the meeting, Graham described the encounter as “a complete, utter disaster,” warning Zelenskyy not to “take the bait” by engaging in a confrontation with Trump. “I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again … The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president was just over the top,” Graham stated. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change.”
Trump’s supporters in Congress celebrated what they viewed as a clear assertion of an unapologetic “America First” approach, with some even justifying a reduction in American aid to Kyiv. “Not another penny,” tweeted Sen. Roger Marshall alongside a video of the altercation.
The contentious exchange appeared to amuse officials in Moscow. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, remarked online about Zelenskyy, “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.” Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, commented during a live broadcast, “Zelenskyy is biting the hand that fed him.”
Michael Carpenter, who previously served as senior director for Europe on the National Security Council during the Biden administration, noted that the Kremlin stands to gain the most from the confrontation. He remarked that while Zelenskyy could have shown more appreciation for U.S. support and appeared more open to a diplomatic resolution, the harsh criticisms from Trump and Vance have significantly weakened Zelenskyy’s negotiating stance against Russia. “Ukraine is desperately fighting for its survival, and now it’s just received a body blow from its biggest military supporter,” Carpenter concluded.
For many Ukrainians, the moment was heart-wrenching yet illuminating. “Trump demanded Ukraine’s surrender. This is what ‘you have no cards in your hand’ meant — it meant you lost, surrender,” Ukrainian military analyst Mykhailo Samus opined in a Facebook post. “Was it possible to agree? I think there was no point. Because the U.S. was not going to help further.”
Zelenskyy took to social media to do what Vance — incorrectly — suggested he had not done and thanked the United States for its assistance thus far. “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people,” he wrote. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.” He also amplified the supportive messages from other leaders.
Contributors to this report include Jake Traylor, Dasha Burns, Veronika Melkozerova, Phelim Kine, Daniel Lippman, Eli Stokols, Seb Starcevic, Nicholas Wu, Joe Gould, Sue Allan, Jordain Carney, and Paul McLeary.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
