Uncle Sam is losing patience

Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting at the White House was a calamity as tempers flared.

On the 27th February, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump held a much welcome, amiable discussion at the White House. Despite the likelihood of tough negotiations behind closed doors, at the press conference, the mood could almost be described as “friendly” - no doubt helped by a letter from the King that Starmer had been charged to deliver. Trump even complimented the PM’s “beautiful accent”.

There was little amiability upon Zelenskyy’s arrival on the 28th however. The two feuded over disagreements on a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, and Trump slammed the brakes on a proposed minerals deal. By the end of the conference, Zelenskyy appeared to have departed prematurely.

This can only reflect poorly on the chances for Ukrainian peace.

The meeting began relatively cordially, as discussions were initiated about the proposed mineral deal and negotiations for peace. The dynamic changed to a more hostile one as Vice-President JD Vance, sitting perpendicular to Trump, questioned Zelenskyy on his use of diplomacy to resolve the war. Both Vance and Trump have insinuated dislike for Ukraine’s temporary prohibition of elections during the war in previous Twitter posts - with Trump having labelled Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” recently on the platform. 

From here on out, the discussion became injected with venom - Zelenskyy retorted by expressing his scepticism towards Putin in upholding diplomatic relations. Trump replied by reminding him of the need for a neutral tone in the negotiations, saying he would not begin publicly slandering the Russian leader before commencing a call with him.

Zelenskyy was simply cornered, as Vance - who was sniping from the periphery of the camera throughout the entire exchange - accused him of “disrespecting the White House” for a perceived lack of gratitude towards the US after years of military aid. This escalated to Vance asking Zelenskyy to say “thank you”. 

The remainder of the interview was a fiery exchange. Zelenskyy accused Trump of being “influenced” by Putin, whilst the latter countered by charging the Ukrainian leader as having “gambled with WW3”. As for their positions on an actual deal, Trump was less than compromising. He insisted that his stance was “aligned with no one but the United States”. He rather callously reminded that Ukraine would have been in a “very bad position” in the absence of US military aid. 

Little tangible progress was made towards peace talks by the end of the discussion. Trump had succeeded in imprinting his mark, with his omnipresent reminder that only American influence can broker a trade deal and bolster Ukraine’s position against Russia.

Why the hostilities in this conference then? Much of the short-term build-up of this disaster can be attributed to what occurred behind the scenes; the White House has come under scrutiny after conducting surreptitious peace negotiations with the Kremlin in the absence of European leaders. Much of American rhetoric has been steered towards a warmer approach to Putin, with Trump believing that Russia “has the cards” in negotiations due to them having “taken a lot of territory”. 

Ukraine may fear that the US, in apparently “cozying up” to the Kremlin, intends to install a peace deal whilst bypassing European, and particularly Ukrainian, oversight. The Trump administration simply possesses less patience, after years of substantial military aid provided by the previous Biden leadership yet no advance in the journey to peace. 

European leaders have rallied to Zelenskyy’s side after the car crash interview, as France’s Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed French support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, stating that European allies were “right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue doing so”. Today, on the 1st March (at the time of writing), Zelenskyy is at 10 Downing Street for a far warmer meeting. Starmer has told the leader that he continues to have the “full backing” of the UK and has now agreed to loan Ukraine £2.26 billion to bolster their defence. Interestingly, the Prime Minister appears to be in a strategically advantageous position for future talks. He successfully charmed Trump in his White House meeting, cementing the special relationship between the two countries and boosting his own ratings domestically. Employing favour gained by the special relationship and the UK’s long-standing support for Ukraine may have Starmer act as the mediator.

Ukraine will need all the favour it can get, as Uncle Sam’s patience appears to have run dry. Trump and Vance will undoubtedly be reluctant to escalate US aid if a settlement is not reached, and their unique new relationship with the Kremlin will be concerning for compromises on Ukraine yielding its territory. 

Zelenskyy may also wish to consider donning a suit for future discussions with Trump, a point that was (quite rudely) brought up by a spectating US senator at the conference - who asked if the Ukrainian leader even owned one.

Then looking further, China’s contentions with Taiwanese independence remain in the side mirror. A peace deal that yields a substantial portion of Ukrainian territory may lend Xi Jinping the green light for military action. However, Putin is unlikely to accept peace without land secessions. 

As always, the road to ending the war is paved with obstacles and unseen threats, and after this dreadful interview, its destination only seems further away.