President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance took Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House woodshed today. The two leaders turned the diminutive former comedian over their knees and spanked him good and hard.
Vance told Zelensky he was “disrespectful” to “litigate” for more aid in front of the far-left, hate-Trump news media. After Vance was finished, Trump told the dictator that he didn’t hold the “cards” in the high-stakes game with Russia, and that he was “gambling” with World War III.
Trump summarily dismissed Zelensky, who departed with his tail between his legs. On Truth Social, Trump told the freeloader not to return until he’s ready for peace.
Don’t Tell Us How to Feel
Zelensky was at the White House to finalize an agreement on U.S. access to its minerals in exchange for U.S. support. And yesterday, Trump said that negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine are “very well advanced.”
But the pow-wow turned south when Trump answered a question from a reporter who claimed that he was “aligned” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he was aligned with Europe and a world that wants peace.
Vance stepped in to offer some history. Noting that years of tough talk about Putin invited Russia’s invasion, which “destroyed a chunk” of Ukraine, Vance said that “the path to peace and path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy.”
“We tried the pathway of Joe Biden, of thumping our chest, and pretending that the president of the United States’ words mattered more than the president of the United States’ actions,” Vance observed:
What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That’s what President Trump is doing.
Zelensky replied that Putin had invaded, occupied, and destroyed parts of Ukraine. Further, he said, Putin broke a cease-fire agreement. So “what kind of diplomacy J.D. you are speaking about? What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance replied.
When Zelensky interrupted the vice president, Vance laid him out:
I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.
The two went back and forth, and Zelensky asked for a moment to explain himself. The United States, he said, has a “nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future.”
“You don’t know that,” Trump replied:
You don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel … because you’re in no position to dictate.”
Trump and Zelensky argued, then Trump shot him down:
You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.… You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.… What you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.
“Have you said thank you once?” Vance asked.
“You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October,” Vance fumed. “Offer some words of appreciation to the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”
Zelensky accused Vance of speaking loudly.
Zelensky Put in His Place
That didn’t go over well, either.
“He’s not speaking loudly,” Trump said. “Your country is in big trouble.”
Zelensky tried to interrupt.
“No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking” Trump said:
Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning, you’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us.
Zelensky claimed his country was “alone” against Russia.
Trump zinged him again:
“You haven’t been alone. You haven’t been alone. We gave you, through this stupid president [Joe Biden], $350 billion. We gave you military equipment and your men are brave, but they had to use our military equipment. If you didn’t have our military equipment, if you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.
“In three days,” Zelensky interjected. “I heard it from Putin. In three days.”
“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump said.
Vance told Zelensky to say thank you — “I said it a lot of times … to American people,” Zelensky interjected — “accept that there are disagreements and let’s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American Media when you’re wrong. We know that you’re wrong.”
Trump unloaded again:
But see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. That’s why I kept this going so long. You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers. Listen, you’re running low on soldiers.… Then you tell us, “I don’t want a cease-fire. I don’t want a cease-fire.”… If you can get a cease-fire, right now, I’d tell you you take it so the bullets stop flying and men stop getting killed.
After more arguing, Trump again: “You don’t have the cards.”
“It’ll be a tough deal to make, because the attitudes have to change,” Trump said before he warned Zelensky he’d better do what he’s told and then ended the meeting:
I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States, and your people are very brave. But you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out.… You don’t have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting all that thankful, and that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing, all right? I think we’ve seen enough.… This is gonna be great television, I will say that.
In other words, either come to terms or Ukraine is on its own.
Reaction
Trump zinged Zelensky again on Truth Social.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump wrote:
I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, put her hands on her face during the exchange.
“The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. appears to be the only Ukrainian in the room who understands how much damage Zelensky just did to his own cause,” The Federalist’s Sean Davis wrote on X.
Said GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, “I have NEVER been more proud of the President. I was very proud of JD Vance, standing up for our country”:
We want to be helpful. What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful. And I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again.
Graham said the same thing on Fox News:
I’ve never been more proud of President Trump for showing the American people — and the world — you don’t trifle with this man.… He wanted to get a cease-fire. He wants to end the war and Zelensky felt like he needed to bait Trump in the Oval Office. J.D. was awesome. This was a missed opportunity. And the question for me, for the Ukrainian people: I don’t know if Zelensky can ever get you to where you want to go with the United States. Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new.
“Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X. “Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!”
