The stormy meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House this Friday, February 28, caused a shock wave on the international scene.
The American president strongly accused his Ukrainian counterpart not to be “ready for peace” as long as the United States was involved in the conflict. Trump also criticized him for a “disrespect” towards his country, pushing Zelensky to leave the White House hurriedly, which led to the cancellation of the key agreement which was to be signed between the two nations.
Russian reactions: Medvedev and Dmitriev support Trump
This confrontation aroused an immediate reaction in Russia, where several political figures have expressed their point of view. Dmitri Medvedev, former Russian president and current number two of the Security Council, commented this exchange by making fun of Zelensky, calling it “cocaine clown” and saluting Trump’s declaration as “the truth in the face”. Medvedev welcomed the honesty of the American president by denouncing the management of the conflict in Ukraine by kyiv.
Kirill Dmitriev, president of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, also reacted on X, qualifying the altercation of “historic”. He said Trump’s words concerning Ukrainian policy were justified, considering that kyiv was likely to cause a world conflict. The position of Russia remains clear: the country considers itself a victim of the conflict, while Ukraine is perceived as the belligerent supported by the Western powers.
European support: Macron and Tusk reaffirm their position
At the same time, Ukraine has received support marks from other nations. The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his support by writing on X: “Ukraine, Spain is with you”.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron recalled that “Russia is the aggressor” and that Ukraine was the attacked people. He reaffirmed European support for Ukraine and his efforts to defend himself, while calling for respecting those who have been fighting since the start of the conflict. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed his unwavering support for Ukraine, recalling that Ukrainians are not alone in their fight.
Zelensky thanks the United States despite the incident
For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for their support, despite the altercation with Trump. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity of this visit to the White House and for the continuous support of the United States to his country as part of the conflict. This declaration made after the scene stretched in the Oval Office, where the agreement on the exploitation of Ukrainian mining resources was suspended.
Suspension of the agreement on Ukrainian minerals
This controversial agreement, which was to allow the United States to exploit the mining resources of Ukraine at 50/50, in particular lithium and rare land, essential to the energy transition, was suspended after this incident. The negotiations, which seemed well advanced, were paused after the stormy exchange between Trump and Zelensky, stressing the growing tensions between the nations involved in this complex international conflict.
