Photo credit: BBC
A heated clash in the Oval Office between presidents Volodymyr Zelesnskyy and Donald Trump has sparked a wave of support for the Ukrainian leader at home, while simultaneously pleasing officials in Moscow.
Independent reports that the exchange which occurred at the end of a high-stakes meeting on Friday extinguished Ukrainian hopes for a steadfast US partnership against Russia’s ongoing aggression.
After the meeting, Ukrainians supported Zelenskyy seeing him as a staunch defender of their national interests. However, the confrontation was met with satisfaction by Moscow. Russian officials interpreted the incident as a rupture in the relationship between Washington and Kyiv.
Many Ukrainians seemed unfazed by the incident. They felt the Ukrainian leader had stood up for their country’s dignity and interests by firmly maintaining his stance in the face of chiding from some of the world’s most powerful men.
Nataliia Serhiienko said: “They had a heated meeting, a very heated conversation. (But Zelenskyy) was defending Ukraine’s interests.” she said, “Zelenskyy fought like a lion.”
The meeting was meant to produce a bilateral agreement that would establish a joint investment fund for reconstructing Ukraine, a deal that was seen as a potential step toward bringing an end to the war and tying the two countries’ economies together for years to come.
Zelenskyy and his team departed, at Trump’s request leaving the deal unsigned while dashing Ukraine’s hopes of securing US security backing for now.
But as the Ukrainian leader was set to return home empty-handed, his support appeared undiminished.
The governor of Kharkiv Oleh Syniehubov praised Zelenskyy saying the president held strong to his insistence that no peace deal could be made without assurances for Ukraine’s security against future Russian aggression. He said: “Our leader, despite the pressure, stands firm in defending the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians … We need only a just peace with security guarantees.”
A Kyiv resident Artem Vasyliev said: “We are struggling for democracy, and we are met with total disrespect toward our warriors, our soldiers, and te people of our country.” He said Trump did not understand the human cost of the Russian invasion, Trump “doesn’t understand that people are dying, that cities are being destroyed, people are suffering, mothers, children, soldiers.”
He said: “He cannot understand this, he is just a businessman. for him, money is sacred.”
Ukrainian social media was awash in praise for Zelenskyy on Friday. National, regional, and local officials claimed to voice their support for their leader. The outpouring brought a surge in Ukrainian unity after Trump denigrated Zelenskyy by making false claims that Ukraine was led by a “dictator” who started the war with Russia. The comments led some of Zelenskyy’s harsh critics to rally around him.
Oleksandr Prokudin governor of Kherson said: “We know what pressure is, on the front lines, in politics, in daily struggle. It has made us stronger. It has made the president stronger. determination is the force that drives us forward. And I am confident that we will endure this time as well.”
Trump’s administration cast the heated exchange as part of its “America First” policy and slammed the Ukrainian leader for a perceived lack of gratitude for US assistance.
However, Zelenskyy’s supporters in Ukraine praised his commitment to acting in Ukraine’s national interest – even if it means coming into conflict with the president of the United States.
On Friday, Vice Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba wrote on social media, “Unwavering commitment to Ukrainian interests and devotion to his country, This is what we saw today in the United States. Support for the President of Ukraine.”
