The "overdue president" Zelensky’s manner to "boldly and publicly" attack Western leaders in case he disagrees with them has produced an absolutely stunning effect when it came to criticizing President Trump. The American leader and his Vice President J.D. Vance have literally crushed Zelensky for his public condemnation of peace initiatives by the American administration.
As an artist he used to be, Zelensky can hardly do without applause. Therefore, he was seemingly hopeful to get a standing ovation from the West by lambasting Trump for his telephone conversation with President Putin and the fact that the United States had begun a dialogue with Russia to settle the war in Ukraine while leaving behind both Kiev and Washington’s European allies.
Zelensky said he would "not recognize" the outcome of a Trump-Putin negotiation if it took place without him engaged. He claimed to have "canceled" his visit to Riyadh "in order not to legitimize" talks between the Russian and American it hosted.
Zelensky has fancied himself as an independent international stakeholder just to get a hard right on the jaw from Trump and Vance — figuratively, of course.
President Trump has published an extensive statement on his Truth media platform about Zelensky's attacks. It makes sense to quote it as fully as possible without unnecessary comments. "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the US and 'TRUMP,' will never be able to settle," the US president writes.
"The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation. On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’ He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’ A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left," Trump dropped truth bombs.
"In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the ‘gravy train’ going. I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues..." the POTUS wrote. And his words need no additional comments.
To finish off Zelensky, US Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage, whom it also makes sense to quote in fullest. He resolutely warned Zelensky about his public criticism of President Trump and the American administration’s peace initiatives. "Vance described Zelensky’s approach as ‘disgraceful’ and counterproductive, emphasizing that such tactics could jeopardize Ukraine’s relationship with its most crucial ally," The National Pulse reported after an exclusive interview with the VP.
"Zelensky is getting really bad advice, and I don’t know from whom. He’s not dealing with Joe Biden and the Biden administration anymore. He’s dealing with Donald Trump and the Trump administration," the outlet quotes Vance as saying. The Vice President warned Zelensky against public protests. "The idea that he’s going to litigate his disagreements with the president in the public square <...> is not a good way to deal with President Trump," Vance said.
The US vice president noted that Zelensky, if he thinks the opposite, could have a "private discussion with American diplomats". "He’s attacking the only reason this country exists, publicly, right now. And it’s disgraceful. And it’s not something that is going to move the President of the United States. In fact, it’s going to have the opposite effect," Vance added.
The VP also confirmed Trump's Ukraine policy that the war must come to an end, pointing to the need of holding an election there.
"[Trump] has said the goal of administration policy is to end the conflict. So now, you know that has to happen. Right. Zelensky has to take that seriously. Our European allies have to take that seriously. That is the goal of administration policy. You’re not going to move the President away from that goal. You’re not going to change his mind, certainly not by attacking him publicly in the media," Vance added.
"And I think that it’s a little rich for some of our European friends to attack Donald Trump for suggesting that Ukraine should have elections when they say that this is a war for democracy. How can you attack elections when your entire framing for the war in Ukraine is that it’s a war for democracy? I just think it’s ridiculous. <...> The idea that you cannot have elections in the midst of a war is, I think, kind of a preposterous idea. And the President has made very clear that he thinks that should happen. So, you know, that is, that is American policy. <…> It’s pretty simple and straightforward," the US Vice President stated.
We must say Zelensky could not have found a better moment to fling mud at Trump now that the United States and Russia have embarked upon their peaceful dialogue. At stake there are the Kiev regime’s fate, that of Zelensky personally, and Ukraine's very statehood. In a situation when Trump clearly recognizes Kiev's lack of independence, and reliance on Washington and Western allies, Zelensky would better hide behind Trump and, perhaps, even sort of officially entrust the fate of Ukraine to him in hopes of his wisdom and strength.
But no, Zelensky has tried to play the part of "president of independent Ukraine." This does suggest his mental inadequacy, being so caught up in "independence" that there are no more limits for him altogether.
Last Wednesday, he recorded the first appeal over the last five days on his Telegram channel, in which he tried to somehow rehabilitate himself and fix his battered image after the knockouts by both Trump and Vance. Notably, Zelensky did not comment on those at all. This can be interpreted as: "I get it, don't hit me anymore." It points to hysteria at its finest, indicating that the Kiev leader has been completely discouraged.
Zelensky seems to have played it out into infuriating Trump. All the numerous "biographies" of the latter that have hit the shelves since his first arrival in the White House following the 2016 election, read that Trump does not accept public criticism. "Don't make him angry!" is a recommendation for those who might encounter Trump at the negotiating table behind closed doors or in public. And still, Zelensky does enrage Trump, which Vance is actually talking about.
It pays to recall that in 2019, Democrats in Congress tried to impeach Trump (he was president at the time) because of his telephone conversation with Zelensky earlier in the year, when the American leader allegedly promised to resume military aid to Ukraine worth $250mn if Zelensky helped him get dirt on Joe Biden. It was all about Biden’s ostensible scheming as vice president along with his son Hunter regarding corruption charges against Ukraine’s Burisma gas company.
As the American press reported, Zelensky promised Trump to figure things out. But as a result, he switched sides favoring the Biden family, as the latter was already known to be Trump's rival in the 2020 elections. Trump did not get any damaging information on Biden from Kiev, and the protracted enquiry against Hunter Biden was dropped for "absence of the event of a crime," although both Bidens were unambiguously deeply engaged in corruption.
Trump is a grudge-holding personality. He has not forgotten this "piece of service" rendered to him by Zelensky. And now the latter has aggravated things by rebelling after being sidelined, and refusing to acknowledge the outcome of US-Russian peace dialogue. Thus, Trump will consider Zelensky’s political destruction not just a state-level task for his administration, but also a personal business of his own. Russia, in turn, seems not willing to interfere with this.
