The last time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the Oval Office he endured one of the most humiliating diplomatic disputes ever captured on camera as he was chewed out by his American counterpart and dressed down for not dressing up.
Monday’s encounter between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump was a vast improvement over that last Oval Office thrashing, which every foreign leader who’s passed through that space since then, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, has tried desperately to avoid.
At a pre-meeting media event with the two men seated in the same places where things previously went off the rails, Trump played nice.
The president’s message to the Ukrainian people? “We love them.”
Trump will be at peace talks ‘if you both want me there’
Trump acknowledged Ukraine’s suffering after more than three years of Russian atrocities and invoked his wife’s pain and sorrow at seeing the country’s children being butchered by the Russian war machine.
“She loves children and she hates to see something like this happening. She sees the heartbreak. We want to see something other than funerals,” Trump said of the first lady, who wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend saying “it is time” to bring the conflict to a close.
During his visit, Zelenskyy brought a letter from his own wife for Melania Trump to acknowledge her peace-making efforts.
Trump also floated American security guarantees to protect Ukraine from further hostilities if a peace deal materializes — a longtime Ukrainian demand that the Americans have rejected outright in the past.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped Monday’s meeting at the White House with several European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump would lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladamir Putin and a permanent end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Trump said he wasn’t all that keen on participating in an expected meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin in the near future to discuss the terms of a peace deal.
But the U.S. president said he’s willing to do it, if that’s what’s required.
“If you both want me there, I’ll be there,” he said. Zelenskyy assured him that “Ukraine will be happy” to have him at such a meeting.
The wartime Ukrainian leader, who at times looked visibly relieved as he basked in his much-improved fortunes seven months after the last disastrous showing, said the bilateral discussion “really was the best one” they have ever had. “Or maybe the best one will be in the future.”
“We spoke about very sensitive points,” Zelenskyy said after Monday’s Oval Office meeting, making it known that Trump’s about-face on protecting Ukraine from any further Russian incursions would be a major breakthrough — if it comes together.
“We are very happy,” he said.
Zelenskyy suits up, offers his thanks
In February, Zelenskyy was attacked by Vice-President JD Vance for wearing his ubiquitous military-style outfit to meet with his American benefactors.
This time, Trump said the black suit-clad leader looked “fabulous” and approved of his sartorial choices. “I love it,” Trump said as he admired Zelenskyy’s collared shirt while greeting him at the West Wing portico on arrival.
Trump pointed out the conservative reporter who criticized Zelenskyy’s previous outfit choice.
“That’s the one who attacked you the last time,” Trump said.
“I remember,” Zeleneskyy said, while taking a dig at the scribe for supposedly wearing the same suit he had on in February. “You see, I changed and you didn’t,” he joked.
That wasn’t the only thing Zeleneskky remembered from that shellacking.
The National breaks down the Oval Office fight between Zelenskyy and Trump, the global reaction and what it means for U.S.-Ukraine relations and efforts to end the war with Russia.
Criticized for supposedly not being appreciative enough of American efforts to backstop part of the Ukrainian war effort — “You have to be thankful, you don’t have the cards,” Trump said while hectoring him on live television — Zelenskyy uttered thank yous throughout.
“Thank you very much for the invitation,” he said.
Later, he said he was “thankful” for the Americans supplying cutting-edge military technology to hold back the advancing Russians.
“Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts, to stop the killings and stop this war. Thank you,” he said at another point.
Ukraine may get U.S. protection guarantees
More importantly, Trump, who has made it no secret he’s growing weary of this lengthy war, backed off from some of his more pugilistic remarks about ending American support.
“You either make a deal or we are out,” Trump barked at Zelenskyy the last time they met in that space, suggesting he would pull U.S. resources if the conflict dragged on any longer.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders that he can negotiate an end to the war without a ceasefire that would first bring a temporary pause in the fighting.
Asked today if he’d end U.S. involvement if Zelenskyy balks at the terms Trump discussed with Putin last week in Alaska, Trump said: “It’s never the end of the road.”
“People are being killed and we want to stop that. I would not say it’s the end of the road. No, I think we have a good chance of doing it,” Trump said of getting a peace deal.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the U.S. and its European partners may offer “Article 5-like protection” to Ukraine, a reference to NATO’s collective defence mandate.
“We’re going to help them out,” Trump said.
Trump rules out Ukraine joining NATO, taking back Crimea
Still, Trump hasn’t changed his tune on everything.
In a social media post before the meeting, Trump flatly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO on his watch.
The president also said Ukraine has to give up taking back Crimea, Ukrainian territory that was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Those are two major concessions that will please Putin, who Trump insists is open to a deal to bring the conflict to a close.
Zelenskyy may also have to cede other territory to cut a deal with the Russian president, who has his eyes set on the Donbas in Ukraine’s east.
Part of that region, which includes many native Russian speakers, is occupied by Putin’s forces and ruled by his proxies — but not all of it.
Giving away too much land in that crucial industrial area would be devastating for the country’s future, said Inna Sovsun, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament.
“That is the worst case scenario that I think everybody is very much concerned about. I very much hope that that’s not going to happen,” she said in an interview.
But that’s for another day.
Avoiding another Oval Office showdown was a promising first step. The finer details of a potential peace deal are what could derail everything the next time these two leaders meet.
