On February 28, in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met. The two leaders were expected to sign an agreement on natural resources, but this fell through. The meeting in front of journalists ended in a scandal, and Zelensky's visit to the U.S. was cut short.
This major diplomatic dispute resonated in the Uzbek-speaking segment of social media as well. Various opinions and reactions have been expressed, ranging from social and political activists to other users.
For example, entrepreneur Zafar Hoshimov described the situation as a "disheartening dispute."
"President Trump and Vice President Pence, together, have been protecting the independence and territorial integrity of their homeland from the aggressor for three years, and now they are trying to force the brave Ukrainian president, who has been defending his country and people, to accept a deal that they call 'peace,' but in reality, it favors the aggressor, by labeling his country and people as 'weak and helpless,' and 'having no cards to play,' without any guarantees.
According to BBC Uzbek service journalist Ibrat Safo, the diplomatic meeting "has never been so disgusting and market-like."
"Trump and Pence humiliated Zelensky in front of the world media, accusing him of disrespecting America and not showing enough gratitude. Trump even claimed that Hillary Clinton, Obama, and Biden portrayed poor Putin as evil, tarnishing the reputation of his state and government. When Pence intervened and began blaming Ukraine for propaganda, Zelensky shot back, 'Have you ever been to Ukraine?' He did not remain silent in front of the two bulls. He even asked, 'You invited me, can I speak?'
Two representatives of a state once considered a world leader scolded a guest and turned the White House into a shameful spectacle, driving the Ukrainian president away. The biggest popcorn machine in the Kremlin was working overtime.
The confrontation with Zelensky was initiated by U.S. Vice President Pence, everything was calm until then. Pence had been angry since yesterday—when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer put him in his place with a single remark, it was evident that Pence was burning inside. While Pence was telling journalists, 'We are concerned about freedom of speech in Britain,' Starmer interrupted him, saying, 'We have had freedom of speech for a long time, and we are very proud of it.' Pence, who had information about other countries and referred to himself as a 'hillbilly,' speaking in that tone about Britain was unacceptable for Starmer.
...Pence is increasingly rising, as he has been overshadowed by Elon Musk since his appointment, and he took this very badly. To impress Trump, a unique competition has emerged between Musk and Pence in terms of radical statements. Today's attack on Zelensky was also part of this competition," writes Ibrat Safo.
Human rights activist Abdurahmon Tashanov believes that Zelensky "was a bit frivolous." In his opinion, the Ukrainian people may suffer from Zelensky's restlessness.
"A democratic person seeks solutions even on the brink of death. A person standing behind his people and homeland should especially not forget the golden rule of diplomacy. Zelensky was a bit frivolous, especially when the whole world was watching as the American fever was attacking the White House.
A politician should have charisma and ambition, but it should work for the benefit and not please the enemy. The unprecedented spectacle in the Kremlin, the suffering Ukrainian fate was already in a dead-end, and opportunities have shrunk further.
Many are portraying Zelensky's confrontation as heroic; unfortunately, I don't think this is heroism. Even without being a political scientist, I can sense that it is wrong to miss an opportunity in major issues due to one person's foolishness. Moreover, something bigger is at stake in alliance relations, which is natural.
The American fever will not last long; the American people will emerge from this epidemic in the not-so-distant future. However, it is certain that the Ukrainian people will suffer from Zelensky's restlessness; the storm will pass, but the aftermath will remain," said the rights activist.
Political scientist Kamoliddin Rabbimov emphasized that when two people fight, the more sensible and healthier one is more to blame. He stated that Zelensky should have diplomatically handled Trump, considering him a limited person.
"In diplomacy, not all truths are told in one attempt. Not all logical steps are expressed in one statement. If Trump says, 'I want to negotiate with Putin,' Zelensky should say, 'Please try, I hope he will do what you say, but this must be a fair agreement!' Macron and Starmer expressed exactly this position.
However, Zelensky spoke in a way like, 'Since 2014, Putin has been an aggressor, and even when you were in power last time, you did nothing!' Perhaps Zelensky said this deliberately to Trump. Perhaps he studied Trump's psychology; we will observe. But for now, Zelensky has only brought Putin and Trump closer. Now, through his closed channels, Putin is likely saying, 'Donald, what did I tell you?! This kid is abnormal.' The situation in Ukraine will become seriously complicated. After this confrontation, Ukraine has distanced itself significantly from the U.S. Putin won," wrote the political scientist.
