Last time Volodymyr Zelensky came to the White House, he got called a dictator, disrespectful and told he was “gambling with world war three”. This time, he just said thank you. A lot. And thus emerged unscathed. But “thank you”, exactly for what?
Donald Trump made no guarantee he’d support Zelensky to keep Ukrainian land. No guarantee of American security after any deal. No guarantee even that America would come to Ukraine’s aid in any future invasion – he floated the idea of a Nato “Article 5-like arrangement”. But there is nothing “like Article 5” if the countries don’t show up when you call. All we learnt – apart from the importance of flattery and a sartorial climb down – was that there may be a future meeting between Zelensky and Putin, something the Russian side has already downgraded.
That has, in essence, been the approach this week of the press corps following each twist and turn of the Alaska/ White House meetings. We asked questions to each other – on air – as if real diplomacy hung in the balance, as if solutions would be found, compromises made, sacrifices built in to an eventual deal. We forgot one thing – that we were dealing with Trump and Putin. A narcissist. And a war criminal. A man with an international arrest warrant following his name.
Did we really believe, as Putin set foot on American soil – sorry, on a red carpet on American soil – for the first time in four years, and as we watched Trump clap him onto the stage, that Trump was going to give him a piece of his mind? Did we really think he would criticise, lambast, sanction or make demands of the man for whom he’s only ever shown admiration?
Trump isn’t that sort of leader. He had no demands of Putin. He was told – by the Russian dictator – there would be no ceasefire – so his response was to urge Zelensky to “make a deal”. The president whose country was invaded, whose citizens murdered, and their children kidnapped, was being told to (checks notes)… let Putin crack on.
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Trump promised to end the war on day one. Just as he promised to release the Israeli hostages and to stop the war in Gaza. Just as he promised to bring down the price of everyday goods and to make businesses feel confident again. He didn’t. And he didn’t. And he still hasn’t. You can see where I’m going with this.
Trump believes in the power of television to tell a story. He loves a crowd and a clap and a press phalanx. He loves a world leader (particularly a strong one) shaking his hand. But he now wants it to be over. Intermission. Ad break. A time to stretch the legs. He’s getting bored. And if Putin won’t back down – well, someone else will have to instead.
This time, there isn’t even the promise of a ceasefire. He’s making no concessions. And Trump has asked for none.
Emily Maitlis is a journalist, broadcaster and host of the podcast The News Agents
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