Make no mistake about it, the United States doesn't want Russia to win against Ukraine. But Trump doesn't want to fund an endless war, either. Zelenskyy either doesn't understand that, or thought he could outmaneuver Trump. Big mistake. HUGE mistake.
The liberal media is frantically spinning Friday's Oval Office meeting as Trump bowing to Putin's whims, but that's just another example of their deranged Trump Derangement Syndrome in action.
Let's get something straight: Russia has used far more resources than expected with little actual gain in Ukraine. Why? Because of U.S. assistance. The support we've provided so far in money and military equipment has been critical in keeping Putin's forces at bay. Ukraine doesn’t have the upper hand right now. America does.
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Even if you believe the nonsense the left is peddling—that what happened in the Oval Office was somehow a gift to Putin—it was Zelenskyy's own actions that led to this outcome. The Ukrainian president demonstrated a deep misunderstanding of how to approach Trump. Anyone who's paid attention these past nine years knows that attempting to engage in a public confrontation with Trump historically doesn't end well for his opponents.
Instead of building a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding, Zelenskyy chose to play the role of the passionate, angry victim in front of cameras. That's not diplomacy—that's a PR stunt. And Trump doesn’t play along.
Ukraine has undeniably gained from American weaponry, especially as Russia can deploy far more manpower. Our support has likely spared countless Ukrainian lives while forcing Russia to expend more resources and manpower than anticipated. But Zelenskyy seems to believe that this entitles him to unlimited American backing—no conditions, no end game. That’s not how Trump operates, and Zelenskyy should have known better.
Did Zelenskyy likely cost Ukraine meaningful U.S. assistance? Perhaps temporarily. His social media posts after the meeting and his interview with Brett Baier did demonstrate some contrition, which suggests he may have realized his massive error. But, he’ll have to prove he is serious about peace, not just treating the United States like an ATM.
The irony here is stunning. Zelenskyy, desperate for American support, chose the exact wrong approach with the one man who could guarantee that support. It's like watching someone shoot themselves in the foot and then complain about the pain.
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Trump has consistently said he wants to end the war quickly. He's not interested in an endless conflict that drains American resources. Zelenskyy should have worked with that reality instead of fighting against it. Now he may have to deal with the consequences of his diplomatic failure.
The Biden-Harris administration enabled Zelenskyy's entitled attitude with blank checks and no accountability. Now the real world has come crashing in, and Ukraine may pay the price for their president's diplomatic ineptitude. Ending this conflict is in everyone’s interest; one hopes that Zelenskyy will learn from his mistake.
