Key lesson from the Oval Office

Focusing on form, not substance, is missing the point.

You all saw what happened. The Ukrainian President came to the United States, its biggest ally, to sign away hoards of his country’s wealth and negotiate an end to Russia’s war in good faith. Instead, he took a beating for doing the most natural thing a president can do — protecting his country’s interests.

It was physically hard to watch that press conference. As Zelensky sat there astonished, Donald Trump and JD Vance raised their voices, lied, twisted his words, and ridiculed a president who has taken every opportunity to get on their good side. For months, Zelensky and his entourage both privately and publically signaled that they welcomed a change in the White House and were eager to work with Republicans. They spent countless minutes and characters on X to praise Trump and appeal to him. The minerals deal, albeit not on the terms initially pushed by Americans, was Ukraine’s idea. Kyiv even postponed signing something similar with Joe Biden so they could give Trump the win instead. It now looks increasingly clear that those efforts were futile from the start.

If I’m being honest, the whole debacle felt very personal, as though Trump and Vance were attacking me, and every Ukrainian for much of the same reasons that Russia is attacking us — simply for being Ukrainian and wanting peace with a modicum of dignity.

Now that the dust has settled, here are some thoughts:

1. The only bad guys in this story are Trump and Vance. I don’t know if it was an ambush or a setup, but it surely didn’t have to be as public and as aggressive as it ultimately was. Both Trump and Vance undoubtedly used the advantages of home turf and native English to corner Zelensky like a bunch of thugs. Premeditated or not, they acted nastily; they raised their voices and interrupted Zelensky so much that he could barely finish his sentences. In one especially disgusting moment, Trump mocked Zelensky, repeating, “I don’t want a ceasefire,” which is not only tasteless, to put it lightly, but also completely untrue. Ukrainians, obviously, want this war to end more than anyone else because we are the one getting tortured, raped, and killed by the Russians. It is precisely because we want the war to end that we demand security guarantees. And there is ample evidence that explains our fear of re-invasion; just read about Chechnya.

2. That being said, I won’t be the first Ukrainian to point out that President Zelensky seemed unprepared for what he was facing. To be clear, the substance of what he said was entirely accurate. Diplomacy with Russia is worthless because the Kremlin breaks its agreements all the time. All nations at war have issues, including manpower shortages. But he didn’t necessarily have to say all that in front of the media, given the obvious power dynamics in the room. He didn’t have to question Trump’s diplomatic efforts right there and then, given Trump’s obvious rejection of criticism. Zelensky absolutely should have opted to have a translator present because his English isn’t good enough to relay his position with the necessary tone and nuance. A translator also could have given him a few seconds to think before he reacted to Trump’s insults. Zelensky’s pushback may have landed well with many back home but it didn’t help Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts. Whether it was a setup or an organic eruption of ill-feeling and lies, Zelensky didn’t handle it optimally.

3. But all of this really is beside the real point, which is simply that the United States is no longer on Ukraine’s side. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and Ukrainians have no choice but to always look for silver linings. But accepting this terrible truth is the only viable path forward. Trump’s genuine dislike of Ukraine and Zelensky dates back years. Time and again, Trump has openly sided with Russia, so much so that the Kremlin said yesterday that America’s foreign policy now “largely aligns” with Moscow’s. Whether Trump may be trying to rip Russia away from China, or normalize relations with Russia for financial benefit, or both, the position of the United States government is now clearly incompatible with that of Ukraine. Trump wants a ceasefire, and he doesn’t care what gets him there. He will rewrite history, distort reality, pause military aid to Ukraine and put the world’s security at risk to appease Moscow to make a deal. If Ukraine refuses to accept that deal, he will cut aid completely, thinking that will magically end the war. And when it doesn’t, because Ukrainians won’t just lay down arms and leave one day, he will blame Zelensky and Ukrainians for wanting to “fight, fight, fight”, and he will move on.

What happened in the Oval Office was only a matter of time. Zelensky could not, and cannot, change Trump's view of Ukraine as a distraction from his real desire: working with Russia. This view will persist even if Ukraine and the US mend ties in the short term. The faster this reality sinks in, the sooner Ukraine and Europe can start seriously preparing for the worst—fighting Russia without American money and arms.