Diplomat Veselovskyy: Zelenskyy-Trump White House conflict had two key consequences

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

“The conflict between Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office had two simultaneous consequences. First, in the end, this conflict significantly raised Ukraine’s subjectivity. The number of people in the United States and beyond who came out in support of Ukraine is simply astonishing. This level of support undoubtedly made an impression on the White House — even on JD Vance himself, who had to secretly move from one resort to another after facing a fiery welcome from protesters. Almost all of Europe took our side, even those who had previously remained silent, such as Spain,” Veselovskyy explained.

The diplomat noted that the White House conflict also resulted in losses for Ukraine. In particular, the United States halted weapons supplies to Kyiv, which could significantly impact the front line.

“On the other hand, we are also experiencing losses. There’s always a price to pay for subjectivity. Specifically, the US has stopped supplying all types of weapons to Ukraine. Secondly, there are threats. The US is threatening to reduce intelligence sharing, communication support, and so on. All of this could, of course, affect our front line and the morale of our citizens,” he added.

According to Veselovskyi, despite the deterioration in US-Ukraine relations, European support will continue to grow and could become crucial for Kyiv.  

“We have plenty of skeptics who say that raising Ukraine’s subjectivity wasn’t worth such risks. Others, however, argue that Ukraine has firmly demonstrated its stance in Europe, and this will now be compensated by months, if not years, of full-scale support from the majority of European countries,” he concluded.

Zelenskyy's visit to the United States and the spat in the Oval Office

On February 28, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington for a working visit. During a press conference at the White House before the planned signing of a framework agreement on minerals, a dispute erupted between Trump, Zelenskyy, and US Vice President Vance. 

As a result, the joint press conference between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump was canceled after their argument, the agreement was not signed, and Zelenskyy left the White House ahead of schedule.  

Following the clash at the White House, European leaders and US politicians began expressing their support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.  

US House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "must come to his senses and return to the negotiating table with gratitude, or someone else should lead the country."  

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that his country would not provide Ukraine with money if it "does not pursue peace."

On Sunday, March 2, a summit of European leaders took place in London to discuss protecting Ukraine and Europe from Russian aggression amid the new US policy of geopolitical isolationism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended the summit.  

Summing up the London summit, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed that he and French President Emmanuel Macron are developing their own alternative plan for resolving the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict, separate from the US approach.  

During his visit to the UK, Zelenskyy also met with King Charles III. On the night of March 2-3, he announced that he was returning home and reflected on his visits to the US and the UK.  

On March 3, several media outlets, citing US officials, reported that Trump had ordered the suspension of all ongoing military aid to Ukraine until he is convinced that the country’s leaders "demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace."  

On March 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the White House meeting with Donald Trump did not go as expected and that it was time to make things right.

• Oleh Pendzyn, economist and member of the Economic Discussion Club, says that the scandal in the White House was deliberately provoked.