Aka, the art of a steal has gone bad.
On Friday, the
world saw an Oval Office filled with little men–and one Giant.
In what was
supposed to be a meeting to negotiate a deal about United States support for Ukraine
with an exchange of mineral rights, and a pathway to peace, President DJT, VP
Vance, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and others sat down with President
Zelensky of Ukraine. The president spoke of doing a deal. Then in a moment, everything
fell apart. First, let’s step back for a few days…
Recently,
our president (DJT) echoed Russia and falsely claimed that Ukraine started the
war and that Zelensky was unpopular in his country because he was a dictator.
So the stage was set for some fence mending and some diplomacy. Earlier this
week, on the third anniversary of the war, the United Nations voted to condemn
the Russian invasion; but in an unexpected and unprecedented about-face, the US
voted against the resolution by abstaining, essentially then siding with Russia
which voted no.
Another
factor preceding the meeting came from the bombastic speech given to European
leaders by Vance at the Munich conference. He scolded the leaders chastising
them for not contributing enough to support Ukraine (when their contributions
exceeded that of the US by several millions). Vance accused Europeans (among
other things) of stifling free speech, legislating digital censorship, and censoring
religion. He accused the countries as endangered by a threat from within and downplayed
any concerns about security and Russia. He chided those in attendance for not
inviting alternative ideas or candidates to the gathering. (Just
how many opposing voices have the Republicans allowed under their tents in
recent years?) Just wondering…
The
combined reaction to his remarks was universally negative, regarded as
inappropriate, and pro-Russian. Following the meeting, Vance met with an
opposition candidate from the alt-Right and refused to meet with the current
leader or other candidates. This was significant because Germany was scheduled
for elections a few days after the event. Many Europeans voiced concerns that
the traditional US-European alliance was fragmenting.
Others
noted that this speech was perhaps in revenge for the decided lack of
enthusiasm by members of the EU and others for the Maga campaign in the US. The
Economist editorially warned Americans about making what it considered to be a
disastrous choice if he were to be re-elected. Of course, it did not help that
(co-president) Elon Musk supported the alt-right candidate and gave a Nazi-type
salute at a recent public meeting.
And,
of course, there had been a phone call with Russian President Putin. It is
unclear what transpired, but DJT clearly was snookered willingly into Putin’s
web. Later, in a hastily arranged meeting, the Secretary of State and other
officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to start to
resolve the issues of the Ukrainian war. President Zelensky was not represented
at this meeting. During the campaign, DJT promised to end the war on Day One,
well it has now been 40 days and the war is ongoing.
President
Macron of France and Prime Minister Starmer from the UK were among the world leaders
who met in the Oval Office in the last few weeks. As described in the Washington
Post, the leaders came using the playbook: “Flatter our dear leader to get him
in a good mood, then try to insert some facts that might differ from his sense
of reality.” It did not always succeed as he pushed back with “alternative
facts”. He did not like being corrected, although each leader tried. This White
House is filled with “yes men and women” so staff correction is probably not on
the table. At the meeting with Israeli leader, Netanyahu, (also televised) he floated
a novel idea and suggested removing the current residents of Gaza, clearing the
rubble, and allowing the US (i.e. his company?) to build a Riviera along the
sea as if the area was a real estate deal just waiting to happen. This surely
could not have been vetted through regular State Department channels as it did
not deal with the prickly topic of where the two million residents could live in
the meantime and did not guarantee that a return to Gaza was possible.
On
Friday, earlier in the day, Zelensky met with several Senators, both
Republicans and Democrats, on Capitol Hill. Reports indicated the meetings were
cordial and many posed with Zelensky, noted their conversations on social media,
and assured him of their support. So, it is reasonable to assume that Zelensky
anticipated a positive outcome to his meeting at the White House. He was tense
but prepared to stand his ground.
(By the end of the day, some
of this media disappeared, particularly the one from Senator Roger Wicker, (R)
from Mississippi, the Chairman of the
Armed Services Committee. Hey guys, no backbone anymore?.)
So
now, let’s get back to the Oval Office meeting. The press was invited in, as is customary,
but they were not invited to leave after a few typical minutes. They stayed
with live mikes. Somehow a reporter from the Russian media, Tass, got into the press
gathering and live-streamed before he was ejected. What
does that say about White House security?
Reports
noted the meeting started in a tense but civil manner. DJT commented negatively
about the wartime garb worn by Zelensky which has been his signature look since
the war started. This look keeps him connected with his fighters and their
families. A right-wing reporter complained that he disrespected the Oval Office
by not wearing a suit, yet he wore the same look when he addressed a joint
session of Congress after the start of the war and was applauded in a
bipartisan show of support.
As
the meeting progressed, Vance, supposedly upset that Zelensky was demanding
some security guarantees because of his distrust of Putin, and who thought
Zelensky was reneging on the premise of the agreement, lit into him, claiming that
Zelensky was not showing gratitude for America’s help. Then DJT jumped in
telling Zelensky that he was being disrespectful and not paying his cards right,
basically saying put up and shut up in his best bullying fashion. To his
credit, Zelensky, who had been trying to remind those in the room that Putin
violated both the Minsk I and Minsk II agreements over Crimea, stated he did
not come there to play cards. Then the efforts to humiliate another president began.
DJT started yelling that if he didn’t agree to sign the transfer of the minerals, that could lead to a peaceful settlement, he would be responsible for starting
World War III. Vance chipped in and both were yelling at him on live TV as Rubio
sat quietly on another couch and the Ukrainian Ambassador held her head in her
hands.
Then
the president went off the rails completely, yelling about Hunter Biden’s
laptop, Putin’s persecution, and Zelensky's visit to a Pennsylvania munitions
plant, where he thanked the workers. As the president is known to carry
grudges, much of this seems to stem from that time in 2019 when Zelensky refused
to lie about Biden’s involvement with Ukraine. This refusal and the related phone
call led to the first impeachment trial.
So
much for quiet diplomacy! Later the president said that this would make great
TV! Playing with the fate of a nation should not be an evening entertainment show.
He indicated Zelensky could return when he was ready for peace. So much for the
“deal” he promised. A deal is not only something that addresses the needs of
one side, it should require compromise.
Zelensky
was shuttled off to another room as the varied officials huddled. The planned
celebratory luncheon, signing ceremony, and press conference were canceled and
Zelensky was ushered out.
What’s
next?
Who knows? Zelensky is not in a position of strength but does not have to
capitulate or violate his honor for his country, as Europe is behind him. In
fact, the condemnation of the president and VP
for their actions in the Oval Office from leaders of the free world was
swift and strong. From Australia to the UK and across the continent leaders
voiced shock at what they correctly perceived as America’s breaking with a decades-long
policy of mutual support and strong opposition to Russian aggression. Leaders
reiterated their continued support for Ukraine and Zelensky and noted the
nation’s security and sovereignty must be maintained on the way to peace. The
European Union Commissioner, Ursula von der Leyen, issued a statement praising
the dignity and honor of Zelensky and his people, telling him he is not alone. The Eiffel Tower was bathed in yellow and
blue as a symbol of solidarity.
Here
in the US, demonstrations supporting Ukraine appeared spontaneously in cities
across the country. VP Vance, who headed to Vermont with his family for a
weekend of skiing, was met by sign-waving protestors along his limousine route
to the slopes. Maybe not the best decision, JD?
Editorial
comments were stark: Brett Stephens in the NY
Times..”There is no getting around it, Friday was a
dreadful day-dreadful for Ukraine, for the free world, for the legacy of
America that once stood for the principles of the Atlantic Charter….It is up to
us to reclaim it from the gangsters who besmirched it in the Oval Office.”
Thomas
Friedman: “What
happened in the Oval Office on Friday — the obviously planned ambush of
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine by President Trump and Vice President
JD Vance — was something that had never happened in the nearly 250-year history
of this country: In a major war in Europe, our president clearly sided with the
aggressor, the dictator and the invader against the democrat, the freedom
fighter and the invaded. He concluded: This is a total perversion of
U.S. foreign policy practiced by every president since World War I. My fellow
Americans, we are in completely uncharted waters, led by a president, who —
well, I cannot believe he is a Russian agent, but he sure plays one on TV.”
Washington
Post editorial: (and yes, I am still reading The Post despite the
deplorable decisions by Jeff Bezos, more on that another day,,,)
“Don’t
tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump snapped. “You’re gambling with the
lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.” Yet Zelensky
is correct that America might come to regret tipping the scales in Putin’s
favor. However well-intentioned, though, his arguing undermined his negotiating
position.
Trump, for his part, should recognize the big picture. If he
wants to avoid World War III, he should heed the lessons of World War II.
Appeasing dictators doesn’t work. Putin, a former KGB officer, responds to
toughness, not trembling. He respects force, not flattery. The U.S. president
should try being as rude to Putin as he was on Friday to Zelensky.”
And
another editorial warned against grabbing essential minerals:
“However, holding a gun to the heads of mineral-producing
countries — for example, by threatening tariffs against Canada and telling
Ukraine to choose between giving over its minerals or losing U.S. support in
its fight against Russia — seems unwise if the United States wants to avoid
becoming an international pariah and pushing erstwhile allies into the arms of
its adversaries.”
Now we wait and see. Too
bad we no longer have the wisdom of a Tony Blinken to lead us diplomatically,
Marco Rubio has already demonstrated he is way over his skill set.
There is so much to unpack
in the news lately, but as we all know, that is their intent, to put so much
out there all at once that we cannot effectively oppose them. Well, they are
wrong. The opposition is getting louder and more forceful with each passing
day. Stay tuned. Next time – the revenge tour.
Til next time, Peace!
