The mainstream media went into full meltdown mode after President Trump's tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, but as usual, they completely missed the real story. Why? Because it makes Zelenskyy look even worse.
What we're now learning about Zelenskyy's repeated broken promises explains a lot—from Zelenskyy's insolence to Trump’s frustration.
According to a report from Axios, this led President Trump to adopt a “three strikes and you’re out” strategy in his dealings with the Ukrainian leader.
The Oval Office shouting match Friday was shocking. But it wasn't too surprising to anyone close to President Trump or Vice President Vance.
Why it matters: Privately, Trump sees Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a pro-Biden, ungrateful lightweight destined to lose to Russia.
And Trump advisers believe Zelensky sees Trump as a pro-Putin, delusional fool destined to make him lose to Russia.
To Trump's team, it was three strikes — and now officially out of favor — for Zelensky. In their eyes, Zelensky already had two strikes against him when he sat down with Trump and Vance.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed the truth on Fox News Friday evening when he told Laura Ingraham that Zelenskyy has repeatedly backed out of signing a crucial minerals and economic agreement, despite promising to do so multiple times. This isn't just a diplomatic disagreement—it's a pattern of behavior that has thoroughly exhausted President Trump's patience.
“President Trump sent me there to, again, we were supposed to bring the Ukrainian people closer to the U.S. people, send a strong signal to Russian leadership that we had not only shared values, but now shared economic interests, and also have a strong signal for the American people that their tax dollars were actually going to work,” Bessent explained to Ingraham.
Instead, what followed was a "very tough 45-minute meeting at a very loud decibel level" with Zelenskyy. "I kept telling [Zelenskyy], 'Mr. President, the purpose of this is to show the Russians there is no daylight between us.' And at the end of the meeting, he said, well, 'I'm not signing this,'" Bessent recounted.
Related: Stephen Miller Reveals What Triggered the Oval Office Showdown with Zelenskyy
This wasn't a one-time offense. Zelenskyy initially promised to sign at their first meeting, then said he would sign at the Munich Security Conference, but failed to follow through. When in Munich, he met with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio, but still refused to sign the agreement. Bessent called it one of the biggest "own goals in diplomatic history."
Is it any wonder Trump has adopted a "three strikes and you're out" approach?
“I was shocked that he would behave like this on camera in front of the world,” Bessent said. “If he had issues he wanted to bring up with President Trump, the proper venue for that would have been 15 minutes later. We were going to walk into the White House dining room and have lunch, just 16 of us, and he could have voiced his concerns privately.”
Bessent even addressed the left-wing conspiracy theory that Trump and Vance set up Zelenskyy.
“I actually think, everyone—the Democratic side of the ledger saying, oh, this was a setup. Vice President Vance and President Trump set up President Zelenskyy,” he said. “I actually think he was always going to do this. And I think he was surprised with a forceful reaction he got back.”
The ball is now firmly in Zelensky's court. If he wants continued American support, he needs to stop the games and start delivering on his promises. Until then, Trump is right to hold firm. After all, isn't that what we elected him to do?
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