On Feb. 28, 2025, in front of dozens of reporters and the world, President Donald Trump berated and attacked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in a public fight between allies — unprecedented in American history. Shortly after, Zelenskyy left the White House without signing the mineral rights deal he visited for.
The public spat between a wartime leader who has lost thousands of his countrymen and has seen an authoritarian, brutish dictator seize vast swaths of Ukrainian territory without any justification or threat. President Trump, who goes to Mar-a-Lago every weekend and has never had to worry about invasion before, is appalling and disappointing. To see the president of the richest country on Earth, attack an ally of the U.S. and the leader of a country that has faced constant conflict over the past three years hurts my mind and heart.
Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours but has since walked these comments back, saying he was being “a little bit sarcastic.” Ultimately, instead of ensuring peace and liberty abroad as America has done since 1945, Trump has flown in the face of precedent and justice. The president called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections,” but declined to say the same about President Putin of Russia, a man who jails dissidents, kills his political enemies and denies free elections.
Vice President JD Vance has long advocated halting U.S. aid to Ukraine, and Trump has pushed a similar agenda — making it one of his main campaign promises. Thus, it would be hilarious if it weren’t so hypocritical that Vance told Zelenskyy, “You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” when they are the ones who have repeatedly tried to end U.S. support while simultaneously taking credit for it.
This tactic, though, is what makes Trump and his allies so popular politically: they espouse lies every day and cover them up with half-truths, fearmongering and spicy one-liners that attract the attention of the electorate solely because of the sheer absurdity of their claims.
Vance also admonished Zelenskyy for not further pursuing diplomacy, saying that “the path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy.”
However, as Vance clearly misunderstands, this conflict has been going on far longer than three years — it dates back to the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014. Russia has agreed to ceasefires in the past but has broken all of them because Putin is not just invading Ukraine for resources or land.
He believes Ukraine should not be independent and should be part of the grand Russian Empire of the past.
Zelenskyy knows peace would be far better than the fighting and suffering happening today, where thousands of Ukrainians are in dire straits. He also understands that you cannot trust a despotic, authoritarian dictator like Putin, who will stop at nothing to take over Ukraine. But to someone like Vance, who has never visited Ukraine before and seems wholly unprepared for U.S. diplomatic talks with a supposed ally, these facts are of no consequence. Vance seemingly thinks Zelenskyy should just end the war now and agree to any treaty.
Similarly, Trump seems unaware of the facts of this war and its history dating back to the end of the Soviet Union. Instead of painting Putin as the aggressor in a terrible war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and Zelenskyy as the victim of this terrible aggression, Trump pointed out the hatred the two leaders have for each other, as though they are on an even playing field.
Trump claimed the U.S. has given far more aid than Europe has — which is false when looking at the data. When looking at the aid given as a percentage of GDP, the U.S. only ranks 17th. Trump, though, does not look at the numbers or the facts; he makes claims that are popular among his base and does not back them up with evidence.
Trump may be a great politician with his wording, but he is a terrible statesman and ally.
In a recent poll by The Economist/YouGov, 51% of respondents said Trump was disrespectful to Zelenskyy, while only 32% said Zelenskyy was disrespectful toward Trump. After the meeting, the U.S. stopped all aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine but has since resumed both as Zelenskyy has recommitted to negotiating.
Ultimately, instead of acting like an ally and supporting Ukraine fully, Trump is acting like an enemy, holding Ukraine hostage with his suspension and then resumption of aid.
Putin started this war; Putin is the real dictator; Putin is the one who has broken multiple ceasefires; Putin has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people on both sides; and Putin is the one in the wrong, not Zelenskyy.
Anyone claiming that Zelenskyy is the one in the wrong or that he is not trying his hardest to end this war is either a fool of the Russian propaganda machine or named Donald Trump.
Trump should fully stand behind Ukraine and pressure Russia to end the war it started. If not, Russia will seize this fracture between the two nations to gain more territory and power in Ukraine. Trump, in all his supposed brilliance, is playing right into the hands of Putin, which may be exactly what he wants.
