As Zelensky entered the Oval Office of the White House on February 28th, he would be walking into a room of American officials who would soon berate him with aggressive remarks and disrespect for the plight of Ukraine in their ongoing conflict with Russia. This moment was a bad start to international relations for Trump, accentuating his lack of diplomacy and morality in regards to foreign aid.
Zelensky entered to complete a trade between the two countries, with the United States receiving important minerals in exchange for American protection against Russia. Frequently getting off topic, Trump facetiously insulted Zelensky for not wearing “appropriate” clothing, claiming Zelensky was disrespecting the sanctity of the Oval Office. Vance later stepped in with sheer hostility, claiming that Zelensky should be thanking Trump for the generous aid the United States has given Ukraine, instead of asking for more. The general consensus between the two was that Ukraine should forfeit in the fight for retaining independence against Russia.
Alarmingly, this meeting went beyond poor decorum. It gave a telling insight on the dangerous future of American foreign policy as Trump seemed to be in alliance with Putin and Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. Trump arguing with Zelensky and indirectly siding with Putin showed a break in America’s participation in NATO, founded on the principle of fighting to spread democracy in the 1950s. Trump has recently declared NATO has been only relatively helpful, and feels that their economic policies are not in favor of the United States. After Zelensky left the Oval Office, he discussed the meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron, and planned a trip to London to meet with NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte. Meanwhile, other nations in NATO posted online to show their continued support for Ukraine.
As Trump takes on his second term, he has made many ambitious choices with pre-existing policies, and has placed new tariffs on imported vehicles, as well as imported goods from China, which reach about 25%. This interaction very clearly portrayed the President as a bully, as he and his support system interrogated Zelensky in a foreign nation over his request for aid as his country fights a war and remains in shambles.
