The White House meetup between nominal allies President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday was an unmitigated disaster, and its abrupt and shocking end sent shockwaves across the world.
The planned joint press conference was meant to end in a mineral rights deal between the United States and Ukraine. It was quickly called off after Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of escalating the war with Russia and Vice President JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy for being "disrespectful."
“Do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” Vance said. “Have you said ‘thank you’ once?”
The breach in decorum, against the backdrop of ongoing war in Europe, shocked American politicians, commentators and world leaders alike.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., called the meeting "a bad day for America's foreign policy."
"Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West," he shared in a statement. "Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom."
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said he had "absolute admiration for President Zelenskyy" after the meeting.
"He went into the Oval Office and stood up to Russia’s best negotiators," Swalwell shared on X.
Former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich called the meeting "shameful."
"President Zelenskyy represents a nation whose citizens have sacrificed their lives and shed blood for the freedoms they cherish," he wrote on social media. "He deserves respect, not humiliation."
CNN's Kaitlan Collins said the scene inside the White House was like nothing she had "ever witnessed in my eight years covering the White House." While former RNC head and current MSNBC host Michael Steele called the meeting an "ambush" and "one of the most embarrassing Oval Office meetings with a head of state ever" on X.
After the meeting, European leaders quickly shared their support for Zelenskyy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk threw in behind Ukraine.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called their country's support for Ukraine "unwavering."
"It is time for Europe to step up. We do not need to wait for something else to happen," Tsahkna shared. "Europe has enough resources, including Russia’s frozen assets, to enable Ukraine to continue fighting."
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