The meeting between USA's President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the White House ended in a full-blown quarrel. Trump and Vance scolded their guest, who has left the White House.
I have never seen anything like this in the Oval Office, it was completely exceptional. Behind closed doors, they have certainly shouted at each other, but this was so public, says Dag Blanck, professor of North American Studies at Uppsala University.
Tense Zelenskyj
He notes that Zelenskyj was obviously very tense before the meeting, judging by his body language.
He tried to follow the same model as (Emmanuel) Macron and (Keir) Starmer used during their meetings: being friendly and flattering while trying to correct Trump on what has happened in Ukraine. And those meetings went better. Zelenskyj stood his ground more.
The fact that Trump received an invitation from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet King Charles may also have played a role.
And that's something Zelenskyj can't match.
Part of the catastrophe is about Trump as a person.
The question is what's a bit of theater: Trump said at the end that "this will be great TV". He likes to be in the center and the whole world is talking about this now.
The Rift to the USA Grows
The quarrel that has unfolded before the whole world has already had serious consequences. Zelenskyj has aborted the visit and no mineral agreement has been signed.
The consequences for the Ukraine-USA relationship and the Europe-USA relationship, after three years of Russia's bloody invasion war in Ukraine and an already shaky security situation for Europe, are difficult to assess. But right now, it doesn't look bright, says Dan Blanck.
The Ukraine-USA relationship is at rock bottom. And that will certainly have consequences for the Europe-USA relationship, since Europe has said that we stand on Ukraine's side. It's clear that the rift that has opened between Europe and the USA, and which they tried to reduce this week, is still large.
