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The situation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was not particularly encouraging and it got worse post the shouting match in the Oval Office. Trump has already described him as a dictator and claimed that Ukraine started the war. This is an absolute lie. Joe Biden’s US-Ukraine alliance is now in shambles. The public implosion also suggests a major impending storm between the European constituents of de facto NATO and the United States There will be many more concerns and doubts about US pledges to provide European security beyond Ukraine. The biggest concern is whether Trump would live up to the commitment made by Harry Truman in 1949, who promised to consider any attack on a NATO ally as an attack to the US. Those considerations stem from what seems to be Trump’s will to attend to a U S-Putin relationship President Putin is expecting. Trump was easily able to make higher concessions to Putin than he received from him when he unreasonably pressured Ukraine. There is no security for Ukrainians, and Europeans are starting to be afraid, wondering if the security for them is provided as well. It is a reason for Trump’s grudge against President Zelensky and other allies because of his inability to make those concessions.
Observe in real-time responses and assessments
Steve Rosenberg: There is no need for Putin to take action, he can simply observe as everything happens on its own
Zelensky is being supported by Ukrainians after a very problematic encounter in the Oval Office.
Starmer now has to decide after the White House meeting who he is able to trust.
How the conversation between Trump and Zelensky derailed within 10 heated minutes
It's not solely the minerals contract that he chose not to ratify. There is a strong belief among Ukrainians that they are fighting a war of national preservation - and that Putin would renege on any pledge to stop the conflict if he is not deterred.
That's the reason why Zelensky asked time and time again for American security guarantees.
There was a fight during the meeting after Vice President JD Vance decided to step in.
There are lingering doubts about whether the public disagreement was - in the words of one diplomatic observer - a calculated political beating: done in order to either get Zelensky to behave exactly how America wants, or to create a situation in which they could put the blame on Zelensky for the outcome.
If Trump now follows up that talk breakdown with a completely military aid freeze, Ukraine will continue to combat. The question is for how long as well as how effectively.
Pressure will double on European allies to take the burden.
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