On February 28, a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, and Vice President Jay DeVens at the White House ended in a diplomatic scandal.
Trump accused Zelensky of being unprepared for peace negotiations with Russia, while DeVens accused the US of disrespect. Due to this conflict, the parties did not sign an agreement on mineral resources in Ukraine.
Meduza gathered opinions from several experts to answer the question of who initiated the conflict and whether it was a coincidence or a pre-planned scenario.
Experts' views: this is not a coincidence
Many experts support the idea that this conflict was planned and primarily orchestrated by Trump and DeVens.
? Sem Green (King's College London, Institute of Russian Studies)
“This is not a random conflict. Since Munich, those around Trump have been discussing how to trap Ukraine. If there was no possibility of achieving a real peace agreement, someone had to be blamed. This blame should most likely fall on the Ukrainians.”
? Phillips O'Brien (University of St Andrews, Scotland)
“Trump tried to pressure Zelensky into signing a peace agreement on favorable terms for Putin. Zelensky rejected this. As a result, Trump openly stated that Ukraine must remain silent and accept his terms.”
? David Remnick (Editor of The New Yorker, journalist)
“State leaders do not do such things spontaneously. The Vice President demanded gratitude from Zelensky. This was an excuse for a disgusting display.”
Is it a scenario to discredit Zelensky?
? Kerrin Vasby Anderson (University of Colorado, Professor of Communication Studies)
“Trump organized the meeting with Zelensky to discredit him and treat him from a position of power. This situation can be compared to the behavior of mafia bosses in movies.”
? James Landale (BBC diplomatic affairs correspondent)
“Vice President DeVens's aggressive attitude towards Zelensky shows that he has taken on a sharp and loud role in the Trump administration. This is an unusual situation in a diplomatic meeting.”
? Gretchen Karlson (journalist, former Fox News host)
“Even Trump himself confirmed that this meeting turned into a show. This was a planned scenario.”
Contrary views: Zelensky acted incorrectly
However, some experts point out that the conflict was also related to Zelensky's behavior.
? Nigel Farage (Member of the British Parliament)
“If I were to go to the White House, I would have worn a suit and clean shoes. Zelensky acted incorrectly, demonstrating a wrong approach by emphasizing what would happen if Americans did not support him.”
? Jack Keane (retired General of the US Army)
“Zelensky acted incorrectly in the negotiations. He tried to advance through aggressive actions, angering Trump and DeVens.”
? Alexey Goncharenko (Ukrainian deputy)
“Zelensky should not have engaged in a dispute. He should have clearly shown that he wanted to continue communication and cooperation with the United States.”
The conflict clarified the contradictions between the parties
Some experts emphasize that the conflict itself revealed the real contradictions between the White House and Kyiv.
? Alexander Baunov (Researcher at the Berlin Carnegie Center)
“This was not a pre-prepared setup, but the emergence of real political contradictions.”
? Dmitry Kolezev (Russian journalist)
“Zelensky could have approached Trump and DeVens's accusations more cautiously. If he had responded patiently to the criticisms, he could have achieved a favorable outcome for himself.”
? Kemi Badenoch (Leader of the British Conservative Party)
“Zelensky is a hero, but he should have been cautious in diplomatic communication. Both sides allowed for misunderstandings.”
The conflict between Zelensky and Trump indicates that serious changes have begun in the relations between Ukraine and the US.
On one hand, this conflict may have been a planned event to diplomatically discredit Zelensky. On the other hand, Zelensky also did not approach the US political processes correctly and reacted incorrectly.
It is evident that the Trump administration intends to force Kyiv to negotiate with Russia more quickly. This could pose very serious geopolitical challenges for Ukraine.
Therefore, in the future, Zelensky and the Ukrainian leadership are required to think about being more cautious and strategic in their diplomatic approach.
The conflict between Zelensky and Trump: a coincidence or a planned scenario?
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