Posted on 03/01/2025 10:56:54 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Just hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina dispensed some advice to the Ukrainian leader.
“Don’t take the bait,” he said, encouraging him not to get into a spat with Mr. Trump.
“I said, don’t get into arguments about security agreements,” Mr. Graham recalled on Friday evening in a brief telephone interview with The New York Times, as he sat aboard Air Force One preparing to fly to Florida with the president.
Mr. Zelensky did not silence his concerns during his meeting with Mr. Trump, who has come to expect a level of capitulation from almost everyone who has met with him since Election Day, from foreign leaders to billionaire business executives. The result was an extraordinary dressing down by a U.S. president of a foreign ally in the middle of the Oval Office, while the media’s cameras recorded it all.
The question hovering over Washington on Friday evening was whether the confrontation was a spontaneous outburst or a planned verbal smack down by Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance, neither of whom respect Mr. Zelensky.
But three people with knowledge of what took place beforehand said neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Vance had been looking to blow up a deal for Ukraine’s mineral rights, which Mr. Zelensky had been expected to sign in Washington. Instead, they said, Mr. Zelensky seemingly triggered the two American leaders by not sufficiently thanking the United States for trying to end the war (which Mr. Trump wanted to hear) and by pressing for commitments to protect Ukraine from Russian aggression going forward (which Mr. Trump did not want to hear).
In the end, Mr. Zelensky left the White House without a signed deal over...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
He expected, at the very least, that Zelensky would show up looking like he didn't just come from the gym.
Zelensky's show of disrespect began when he chose not to wear acceptable diplomatic attire for a meeting in the Oval Office between two heads of state.
Mr. Zelensky seemingly triggered the two American leaders by... pressing for commitments to protect Ukraine from Russian aggression going forward...
Zelensky apparently got used to walking into a signing ceremony after advanced teams agreed on the terms and then dropping one final demand out of the blue. President Trump was having none of it this time.
I know from my own experience as a facilitator of groups of people that I have a plan for managing the flow of the conversation so that the group can achieve their goals. When one participant wants to upend that plan for their own ends, it throws the whole experience off for the other participants. Trump had a three-step plan for ending the war in Ukraine:
Zelensky blew up this plan by making a new demand in step one for "security assurances" that nobody pre-arranged and signed off on. Trump walked away like President Reagan at Reykjavík.
-PJ
Why the HE** is Lindsey Graham talking to the New York Times from AF1?
Zelenskyy is clearly not very smart at all. They gave him several chances to back off on his dissing the USA and Trump administration. All he had to do was apologize, when JD said he wouldn’t allow litigation of the war in that meeting with the media. He could have said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that was my goal; we are so grateful for everything you have done for us and have nothing but respect for this administration and the American taxpayers.” It would have ended much more in his favor. But he had to be some stupid badass, and didn’t understand he had no cards. JMHO
With KCIII at the hflm, who needs the Harkles, eh...
what show down NYT idiots, if anything it was a tag team slap down of the little arrogant grifter idiot
Showdown of Zelensky’s own making that he lost.
“It’s always good to get Maggie’s take on things.”
Isn’t she the one who got a Pulitzer for her coverage of the Russia Hoax? B*tch never gave back the award either after it came out that it was a hoax.
Zelensky has close relationships with several democratic Congressional critters. They visit often and probably are in constant communication. (maybe involved in missing millions of US funds) I can’t help but believe one or more of them conspired with Zelensky to cause this scene which was designed to embarrass Trump and his peace seeking mission. It backfired on them.
“...with our clear tilt in favor of Russia ...”
tilt???? -
talk, - yes
action - renewed sanctions against Russia this week.
She is not to be taken seriously.
Unless you’re serious about your comedy.
Shameless lying by The Slimes again.
Little Z boy was told to play the fool by Susan Rica, Vindiman and the 0bama machine. They could care less what happens to Ukraine. They think this is “an embarrassment for Trump” and will help Democrats politically
Shameless lying by The Slimes again.
Little Z boy was told to play the fool by Susan Rica, Vindiman and the 0bama machine. They could care less what happens to Ukraine. They think this is “an embarrassment for Trump” and will help Democrats politically
Goober is the only guy in America on speed dial to both Maggie Haberman and his rich uncle, Rupert Murdoch.
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