WASHINGTON (AP) — All it took was 90 seconds for weeks of tortured diplomacy to unwind successful spectacular fashion.
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Friday laid bare nan limits of a full-court property by America’s friends aimed astatine reshaping Trump’s determination to end Russia’s penetration moreover if nan position are not to Ukraine’s liking.
It besides stressed nan profound ways Trump feels emboldened to redirect U.S. overseas argumentation priorities toward his “America First” schedule successful ways that widen good beyond those of his tumultuous first term.
The abrupt blowup was nan astir heated nationalist speech of words betwixt world leaders successful nan Oval Office successful memory, arsenic nan accustomed staid activity of diplomacy descended into finger-pointing, shouting and eye-rolling.
The brushwood near nan early of nan U.S.-Ukraine relationship, and Kyiv’s expertise to take sides itself successful nan sadistic conflict pinch Russia, successful mortal jeopardy.
“You either make a woody aliases we are out,” Trump told Zelenskyy, underscoring nan American leader’s plans to dictate a swift extremity to nan warfare aliases time off its longtime state to proceed nan conflict without its strongest backer.

Bloomberg via Getty Images
Less than a time later, Zelenskyy utilized a bid of posts connected X to definitive his acknowledgment to nan American people, Trump and Congress for “all nan support,” which he said Ukrainians “have ever appreciated,” particularly during nan war.
“Our narration pinch nan American President is much than conscionable 2 leaders; it’s a historical and coagulated enslaved betwixt our peoples. That’s why I ever statesman pinch words of gratitude from our federation to nan American nation,” he added. Ukrainians want “only beardown relations pinch America, and I really dream we will person them,” he said.
Zelenskyy was successful London to meet pinch British Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier a acme Sunday of European leaders.
Episode capped aggravated lobbying effort by American allies
The stunning section successful Washington had capped a week of what turned retired to beryllium mostly futile efforts by U.S. friends to insubstantial complete differences betwixt Washington and Kyiv and to effort to steer Trump distant from his flirtations pinch Moscow.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron huddled pinch Trump to laic nan groundwork for an eventual European-led peacekeeping unit successful Ukraine aimed astatine deterring early Russian aggression and to promote nan U.S. president to beryllium much skeptical of Vladimir Putin.
But moreover arsenic Trump and Macron greeted each different pinch a vise-like grip, nan U.S. was splitting pinch its European allies astatine nan United Nations by refusing to blasted Russia for its penetration of Ukraine successful a bid of resolutions marking nan 3rd day of nan war.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Washington and appealed to Trump for a U.S. “backstop” for European nations who would supply front-line information for Ukraine. He was successful principle looking for security that, should a bid woody beryllium reached, Russia won’t restart nan fighting successful nan future. Starmer brought flattery and a authorities sojourn invitation from King Charles III to soften nan ask.
The attack seemed to work, arsenic Trump struck a much conciliatory reside toward Ukraine, calling America’s support for nan state against Russia’s penetration “a very worthy point to do” and disclaiming immoderate representation that he had called nan Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”
But Trump besides brushed speech Putin’s past surgery negotiated promises, claiming they occurred nether different presidents, and saying nan Russian leader had ne'er violated a committedness to him. It came arsenic his aides were readying a bid of negotiating sessions pinch Russian officials to laic nan groundwork for a imaginable gathering betwixt Trump and Putin successful nan coming weeks.

via Associated Press
Mineral woody pursued by Trump goes by nan wayside, for now
All nan while, Trump was focused connected securing a financial stake successful Ukraine’s captious minerals to recoup nan tens of billions nan U.S. has fixed to Kyiv to take sides itself. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, wanted much than Washington’s vague promises that nan U.S. would activity to sphere its economical liking successful Ukraine nether nan statement and pushed for much actual information guarantees.
But Trump would not budge, and U.S. officials many times said Zelenskyy would not beryllium invited to meet pinch nan president to talk Trump’s push for negotiations pinch Russia until it was signed. After weeks of browbeating, Zelenskyy’s authorities connected Wednesday formally agreed to nan proposal, clearing nan way for Friday’s meeting.
It started disconnected cordially enough, arsenic Trump and Zelenskyy said politely, moreover pinch admiration, of 1 of different for nan first half-hour of nan meeting. Trump moreover suggested he would proceed immoderate subject assistance to Ukraine until he could unafraid an enduring bid woody pinch Russia.
But erstwhile nan Ukrainian leader raised siren astir trusting immoderate promises from Putin to extremity nan fighting, Vice President JD Vance rebuked him for airing disagreements pinch Trump successful public. It instantly shifted nan tenor of nan conversation. Zelenskyy grew defensive, and Trump and his vice president blasted him arsenic ungrateful and “disrespectful” and issued stark warnings astir early American support.
President Trump answers questions connected gathering pinch Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
"Either we're going to extremity it aliases fto him conflict it out. If he fights it out, it's not going to beryllium beautiful because without america he doesn't win." pic.twitter.com/yEiUkLpjVP
A informing earlier nan gathering ‘not to return nan bait’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a defense hawk and Trump ally, said he had warned Zelenskyy earlier nan gathering “not to return nan bait” successful his dealings pinch Trump, who has many times shown a penchant for throwing disapproval but a heavy guidance to receiving it.
It was Vance — a longtime professional of American support for Ukraine — who dangled it, erstwhile he insisted diplomacy was nan only measurement forward.
“What benignant of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” Zelenskyy said, listing Russia’s past violations of ceasefires. “What do you mean?”
“I’m talking astir nan benignant of diplomacy that’s going to extremity nan demolition of your country,” Vance responded earlier tearing into nan Ukrainian leader. “Mr. President, pinch respect, I deliberation it’s disrespectful for you to travel into nan Oval Office to effort to litigate this successful beforehand of nan American media.”
Trump past fto loose, informing nan Ukrainian leader, “You’re gambling pinch World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to nan country, this state that’s backed you acold much than a batch of group opportunity they should have.”
At different point, Trump declared himself “in nan middle,” seeming to formally break from years of American support for Ukraine. He went connected to deride Zelenskyy’s “hatred” for Putin arsenic a roadblock to peace.
“You spot nan hatred he’s sewage for Putin,” Trump said. “That’s very reliable for maine to make a woody pinch that benignant of hate.”
“It’s going to beryllium a very difficult point to do business for illustration this,” Trump said to Zelenskyy arsenic nan 2 leaders talked complete each other.
Latest illustration of awesome displacement successful US overseas policy
The section was conscionable nan latest lawsuit of Trump’s brazen moves to displacement long-held American argumentation positions successful his first six weeks backmost successful office, portending moreover much uncertainty up for longtime American friends and partners who person already felt pressed to warrant their spot successful Trump’s eyes. It comes conscionable weeks aft Trump floated a imperishable relocation of Palestinians successful Gaza and an American takeover of nan territory, and arsenic he has doubled down connected plans to put stiff tariffs connected equipment from Mexico and Canada starting adjacent week.
After nan Oval Office dustup, Zelenskyy was asked to time off nan White House by apical Trump advisers — scrapping plans for a lunch, a associated property convention and nan signing of nan economical agreement, moreover arsenic nan Ukrainian leader and his aides pushed for a “reset” connected nan meeting.
Trump later told reporters he didn’t want to “embolden” nan Ukrainian leader if he didn’t want “peace” pinch Russia — flipping what Ukraine had seen arsenic an inducement for information guarantees into a cudgel.
“You can’t embolden personification who does not person nan cards,” Trump said.
After nan disastrous encounter, Zelenskyy appeared connected Fox News connected Friday evening and told Bret Baier that his nationalist spat pinch Trump and Vance was “not bully for some sides.” But Zelenskyy said Trump — who insists Putin is fresh to extremity nan three-year grinding warfare — needs to understand that Ukraine can’t alteration its attitudes toward Russia connected a dime.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine won’t participate bid talks pinch Russia until it has information guarantees against different offensive.
“Everybody (is) acrophobic Putin will travel backmost tomorrow,” Zelenskyy said. “We want conscionable and lasting peace.”
“It’s truthful delicate for our people,” Zelenskyy said. “And they conscionable want to perceive that America (is) connected our side, that America will enactment pinch us. Not pinch Russia, pinch us. That’s it.”
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Zelenskyy acknowledged that without U.S. support, his country’s position would turn “difficult.”
After many times declining opportunities to apologize to Trump, Zelensky closed his Fox quality pinch a sheepish look of remorse arsenic he struggled pinch nan reality of Trump’s caller guidance successful Washington: “Sorry for this.”