US president said his horrific blow-up would make ‘great television’ – the White House has never seen anything like it

Summary

Trump just presided over one of the greatest diplomatic disasters in modern history, with flared tempers, raised voices, and shredded protocol.

Never before has a U.S. president bullied and berated an adversary, never mind an ally, in such a public way.

During a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump and JD Vance attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanding he accept a peace deal with Russia or lose U.S. support.

The conversation devolved into shouting, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of being ungrateful and “gambling with World War III.”

The meeting ended in chaos, with no agreement reached.

  • Dearth@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    6 hours ago

    Has a VP ever sat with the president while meeting with a foreign president like this? Maybe Biden in Obama’s first term? Cheney and Bush the 2nd behind closed doors but never in front of the cameras

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      16·
      6 hours ago

      I really wish Zelenskyy had said something to Trump like “Why are you letting him speak for you? Are you not the one in charge?”

      • Serinus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        5 hours ago

        Anything Zelenskyy did would have been an excuse. There was no winning this exchange, short of Putin dying in the middle of it.