“A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelenskyy.”
That used to be the decision of the editorial group on the Kyiv Unbiased, certainly one of Ukraine’s main media retailers, on a outstanding spat within the Oval Place of business that performed out on Feb. 28, 2025.
Some Ukrainians I’ve spoken to because the fractious come across, right through which Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy used to be many times hectored by way of U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, have certainly characterised it as disastrous for the rustic. However for others, the incident has been lightly accredited as the brand new fact in U.S.-Ukraine members of the family.
There were some questions directed at Zelenskyy – did he permit himself to be baited into an a controversy that may have actual penalties? Will have to he have remained silent? However for essentially the most phase, the remedy of Ukraine’s president by way of Trump and Vance has produced a possibly accidental outcome: It has unified a war-weary Ukrainian other people.
As one good friend who has been displaced by way of battle from the now occupied town of Nova Kakhovka informed me, there has no longer been this degree of mobilization and patriotism in 3 years.
‘The country needs unity’
This harmony is observed within the reaction throughout Ukraine’s political divide.
Petro Poroshenko, an regularly outspoken opponent of Zelenskyy and chief of the opposition celebration Eu Harmony, mentioned on March 1 that, to the wonder of many, he’ll no longer criticize Zelenskyy’s efficiency on the White Space. “The country does not need criticism, the country needs unity,” he mentioned within the video posted on X.
Anecdotally, even the ones Ukrainians who didn’t vote for Zelenskyy have informed me that occasions within the Oval Place of business made them really feel extra supportive of Zelenskyy.
Alternatively, a way of realism is sinking in over the transferring stance of the U.S. management. Trump’s said believe in Vladimir Putin and his conciliatory feedback over Russian aggression – together with a refusal to recognize Russian battle crimes – have, for lots of Ukrainians, set low expectancies that the White Space can assist succeed in a handy guide a rough and lasting peace. But, as Inna Sovsun of the opposition celebration Holos famous, “It was difficult to watch a president who’s been a victim of Russian aggression being attacked by the leader of the free world.”
Atmosphere the file immediately
The Feb. 28 assembly between the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders adopted weeks of an increasing number of harsh Trump rhetoric towards Zelenskyy. Since being inaugurated on Jan. 20, Trump has known as the Ukrainian chief a “dictator without elections,” claiming – incorrectly – that Zelenksyy had 4% approval rankings. He additionally indicted that the invasion by way of Russian troops in February 2022 used to be Ukraine’s fault.
Such feedback had already made Ukrainians rally round Zelenskyy, who has a wholesome 63% approval score, in line with the newest polls.
The unsightly scenes within the Oval Place of business may see an additional rallying round Zelenskyy, particularly if he can effectively represent his position within the dispute as that of defender of his other people. Doing so would faucet into rising standard resentment over the brand new U.S. management’s obvious unwillingness to recognize Russian battle crimes.
Massive U.S. and Ukrainian flags cling at the Kyiv River Port development on March 2, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Picture by way of Pierre Crom/Getty Pictures
Within the days main as much as the Zelenskyy-Trump assembly, the U.S. voted with Russia in opposition to a United International locations answer condemning Russian aggression and adverse the wording of a draft G7 commentary marking the 3rd anniversary of the battle, which depicted Russia because the aggressor.
Letting Putin off the hook
The indignant exchanges within the Oval Place of business perceived to had been sparked by way of Zelenskyy’s objection to Trump’s statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a person of his phrase.
That refusal to name out Putin – who faces an arrest warrant from the World Felony Courtroom – angers Ukrainians who’ve suffered Russian aggression for 3 years. To hammer that time house, Zekenskyy confirmed Trump and others within the Oval Place of business footage of Ukrainian prisoners of battle who go back from Russian captivity tortured and abused.
As Ukrainian human rights legal professional and Nobel Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk famous in a Feb. 17 speech, 65% of Ukrainians polled early within the warfare mentioned their major unhappiness in finishing the battle can be “impunity for Russian crimes.” 3 years of warfare can have simplest hardened that sentiment – but the U.S., underneath Trump’s management, seems to be an increasing number of prepared to let Putin off the hook.
Defender of the country – and reality
A big phase of Ukrainian media – each historically pro- and anti-Zelenskyy alike – have since Feb. 28 portrayed the president within the position of a defender of each his country and the reality.
He used to be, this framing has it, compelled into the tough place of getting to set the file immediately and problem unfaithful statements in actual time, and in entrance of the reputedly adversarial chief of the sector’s greatest financial system, whose give a boost to has been a very powerful in Ukraine’s try to repel the invading Russian military.
To a couple, preserving silent would had been tantamount to capitulation, however others have wondered Zelenskyy’s means.
Whilst nonetheless keeping up that Zelenskyy’s key message used to be proper, some Ukrainians have advised that his emotional tone within the Oval Place of business used to be no longer positive.
Opposition lawmaker Oleskiy Goncharenko advised in an interview on CNN that Zelenskyy will have to had been extra “diplomatic” and extra “calm” for the reason that the stakes have been so top.
In the meantime, there have been additionally those that wondered the verdict to carry such a very powerful dialog in entrance of the click, particularly with out the usage of skilled translators who probably may have tamped down the rhetoric and slowed the tempo of the trade. Thus, as Tymofiy Mylovanov, the adviser to the workplace of the president and head of the Kyiv College of Economics put it, some issues may “have been lost in translation.”
‘Zelensky is our democratic leader’
So the place does the Oval Place of business dispute depart each Zelenskyy and U.S.-Ukrainian members of the family?
Within the aftermath of the dispute, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham – who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine – advised that Zelenskyy will have to surrender, the consequences being that his dating with Trump used to be so damaged that his presence is now counterproductive for Ukraine’s priorities.
This is a line that hasn’t long gone down smartly in Ukraine. Kira Rudyk, the chief of opposition celebration Holos, retorted that it used to be as much as the Ukrainian other people on my own to make a decision on their management and long run.
Additionally, to many Ukrainians the barrier to harmonious Ukraine-U.S. members of the family isn’t Zelenskyy, however Trump.
Mustafa Nayyem, who served in Zelesnkyy’s executive, summed up the view of many Ukrainians by way of claiming in a social media submit that the Trump management “does not just dislike Ukraine. They despise us.” The “contempt is deeper than indifference, and more dangerous than outright hostility,” he added within the Feb. 28 submit.
Intentional provocation
Serhii Sternenko, a Ukrainian activist legal professional and blogger, described the Oval Place of business spat as an intentional provocation on behalf of Trump to discredit Ukraine as an unreliable spouse within the peace negotiations.
Sternenko isn’t on my own in his overview. Journalist and blogger Vitaly Portnikov argued that the spat used to be the results of Trump’s unrealistic promise of finishing the battle temporarily being faced with the truth that most likely Russia does no longer wish to make any concessions. The pondering this is Putin has proven no indication that he’ll bend on his battle objectives, so for Trump, framing Zelenskyy as “not ready for peace” permits the U.S. president to stroll clear of his marketing campaign promise with out accepting defeat.
Amongst buddies: Zelenskyy with Britain’s Top Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron on March 2, 2025.
Justin Tallis – WPA Pool/Getty Pictures
A brand new fact
Past the headlines and preliminary reactions from Ukrainian politicians, newshounds and civilians, there may be some other sentiment this is rising: resignation to the brand new fact.
Maximum Ukrainians need an finish to battle, however in some way that preserves their sovereignty and promises long run safety. Till lately, that used to be shared by way of the occupants of the White Space. It’s changing into an increasing number of transparent to many Ukrainians that, with reference the battle in Ukraine, the U.S. will play a distinct position underneath Trump – which means Ukraine will an increasing number of glance to Eu leaders as number one companions.
In all probability Goncharenko, the opposition member of Ukraine’s Parliament, best possible summed up the effects of the Oval Place of business spat: “It was not Ukraine, it was not the United States who won … it was Putin.”
