The intense exchange between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House left many shocked but not entirely surprised, according to analysts. The future for Kyiv now appears increasingly uncertain.
Trump has chosen not to disclose whether he would offer any security assurances for peace, claiming that Putin “respects” him enough to uphold any agreements made.
Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group (ICG), remarked that the meeting on Friday was expected to be tense. “The behavior exhibited by the President and Vice President during the meeting in the Oval Office was unprecedented, yet not entirely unexpected given President Trump’s well-documented stance on US military aid to Ukraine and his portrayal of Russia’s actions towards Ukraine,” he stated.
Despite questioning, Trump and his administration have consistently avoided attributing blame to Moscow for initiating the conflict.
