About a week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged some tension in his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but no one expected the scene that erupted yesterday in the White House.
In front of journalists and television cameras, Trump rebuked his Ukrainian guest, scolded him, and even mocked his accent. Trump's advisor, J.D. Vance, also cornered Zelensky with harsh language.
This incident raised new questions about Trump's ability to mediate peace talks with Russia and increased European concerns about Washington's commitment to the security of its European allies.
The confrontation also revealed some old personal animosity between the two men and reminded people of Trump's reactions during his first term in the White House when he called for new elections in Ukraine.
The roots of Trump's disdain for Zelensky go back to their first phone call in 2019. At that time, Trump urged Zelensky to find "dirt" on the business dealings of Hunter Biden, the son of former U.S. President Joe Biden. However, Trump's request did not receive the response he desired from Kyiv. Despite later describing his conversation with Zelensky as "perfect," this call formed the basis for his first impeachment by the House of Representatives.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during Biden's presidency, Trump repeatedly criticized Kyiv. Since then, it seems the Republican president has not forgotten Zelensky's "slight," and what made matters worse was the large sums of money the United States paid to Kyiv to support it in the war against Russia over the past three years.
Trump repeatedly criticized the amount of U.S. support provided to Ukrainians compared to Europeans, demanding a portion of it be repaid through Ukraine's rare minerals. However, Kyiv recently hesitated to sign the mineral deal without obtaining security guarantees from Washington, which further angered the U.S. administration and Trump's team, leading to the explosive confrontation in the White House yesterday.
Trump later asked Zelensky to leave while he waited in a nearby room that witnessed the historic and unprecedented altercation, even before having the scheduled lunch, leaving the plates empty and the Ukrainian chef empty-handed as well.