It was clearly made for TV. From the frosty front door reception to the Oval Office confrontation, Donald Trump and his lackey showed no respect for their foreign visitor (“The Oval Office was already seething with resentment when Vance lit the match,” March 1). Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country has suffered so much, walked straight into Trump’s trap. He and JD Vance harangued him, shouted him down and admonished him like a child. It must have been hellish to endure. The president obviously thought he was back on The Apprentice, the TV show that made him famous, a program that turned bullying into a form of entertainment. He had so much practice then and the Oval Office spotlight brought it all back. Trump’s statement at the end of this shambolic exchange, “this will make for great TV”, was sickening. It was disgusting behaviour from a “leader” of the free world. Greg Vale, Kiama
Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance during their explosive meeting in the Oval Office.Credit: Bloomberg
As we watch the car crash diplomacy of the Trump/ Vance administration in its ugliest but truest form, the word “incredulous” hardly does my reaction justice. Full credit, however, to Zelensky, who is the living embodiment of Midnight Oil’s anthem, “It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” History will judge Zelensky far more favourably than the deplorable train wreck of a US administration. Rebecca Semple, Abbotsford
After the disastrous meeting with the US over providing security in return for rare minerals, maybe Zelensky could approach China for a similar deal. What better way for China to become an influential peace negotiator than to offer Ukraine the protection it wants in exchange for precious minerals. Wouldn’t that get up Trump’s and Vladimir Putin’s noses? Mark Berg, Caringbah South
So Trump tells Zelensky he should be respectful when he is in the “cherished” Oval Office of the White House. Is this the same respect Trump showed when he encouraged and praised a mob of his supporters to break into and vandalise the US Capitol Building in January 2021? Ian Ferrier, Paddington
The Trump/Zelensky meeting brought back the terror of playground bullies and the post-traumatic stress they cause. Trump is a bully with no statesman-like characteristics and he is a totally unsuitable national leader. Americans should take a good look at themselves and what they have created. Zelensky stood up to the pack. That’s what we’re advised to do with bullies and he has gained a lot of respect around the world. I assume the Americans will be publicly demanding payment from Israel and other beneficiaries of US aid in the same humiliating fashion. Anne Phillips, Wallarah
Does anyone else see unsettling similarities between Trump and Vance’s treatment of Zelensky and the DARVO (Deny, Attack the victim, Reverse the positions of Victim and Offender) tactic commonly used by perpetrators of abuse to manipulate victims into submission? You just don’t expect it from a “leader of the free world”. No wonder Zelensky had such a strong reaction and felt compelled to defend himself and his country. It was a very human response to psychological abuse. Robyn Chase, Galambine
While Trump goes blowing his horn making sure everyone can hear him, he is causing internal problems. The Republican Party stands in adoration that they now rule the House of Representatives and the Senate, but in two years they have the mid-term elections. Trump couldn’t care less about them, but the Republicans will, as their political lives depend on them. If the American public thinks Trump has gone too far, they might give the Republicans a message. The party may turn against the president’s excesses in order to win the mid-terms, and Trump will serve the final two years as a lame duck president who can’t get anything through Congress. John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA)
Dear Donald, just a quick note to say thanks for our chat in the OO the other day. It did get a bit heated at times. Lucky we had JD on hand as a moderator eh? You’re right, I do have a lot to be grateful for and I may not have expressed that clearly. You are the first person to acknowledge that I am a dictator, was a moderately successful comedian before turning my hand to running a country and that I should get the credit for starting the war. The list goes on. Actually, I had brought a gift for you as a sign of our appreciation, but I left it in the car. It’s a golden hand grenade (US-made of course) with a speaker inside, mounted on a wooden block. When you pull the pin, a voice says “Thank you, Donald, thank you. Ukraine loves the US” on loop. A bit tawdry, but I know you like that sort of stuff. Thought it would go well on the OO mantelpiece near Bibi’s golden pager. Oh, and there’s a blue and yellow MUFA* baseball cap. I’ll get them sent around. *Make Ukraine Free Again (sorry, pinched that one from you, so thanks again) Chat soon. Volod Kevin Hunt, Kenthurst
Can someone tell me, was I hearing right? Was Trump constantly referring to rare earth minerals as “raw” earth minerals. Tell him I’ve got some raw earth in my backyard that he can have, but seriously, his total ineptitude on every subject is getting scary. Tony Lewis, Mount Victoria
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leaves the White House.Credit: AP
Only one person had command of coherent English at the Whitehouse brouhaha – and it isn’t even his first language. When Trump told Zelensky “You’re not in a good position, you don’t have the cards right now”, his most apposite rejoinder was “We are not playing cards.” Bruce Auld, Borenore
When Trump said Zelensky would be starting World War III, Zelensky should have replied: “And which side would you and the USA be on?” Geoff McCaughan, Cronulla
J.D. Vance said a president had disrespected the Oval Office. This is very true, but it wasn’t Zelensky. Malcolm Freak, Armidale
Just leaving anti-Trump sentiment out of the equation for a minute, I note in yesterday’s report that Europe as a whole contributed $208 billion to Ukraine’s defence in 2024 and the US contributed $180 billion. That’s a lot of billions. While this seems to have kept Putin at bay for the present, is this situation going to continue indefinitely? Seems like we are pouring vast amounts of money into an unwinnable war. Some sort of compromise is the only solution. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth
The Eiffel Tower has been lit up in the colours of the Ukraine flag. It would be good to see our Opera House follow suit. Victoria Harrington, Thirroul
PM has cleaned up Libs’ mess
I reject Peter Hartcher’s claim that no one remembers anything Anthony Albanese has done since becoming prime minister (“The US and China are ringing alarm bells. Albanese is hitting the snooze button”, March 1). Many of us do. First there’s inflation. When the previous Coalition government came to power in 2013 they inherited a post-GFC inflation rate of 2.2 per cent. Nine years and nine deficits later, Labor inherited inflation at 6.2 per cent, which rose to 7.8 per cent in their first months in office. Inflation is now 2.4 per cent and falling and was just 0.2 per cent in the December quarter. Very significantly, Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong were able to quickly repair the very significant damage that Scott Morrison had done to our trade with China by his childish name- calling, and tariffs on more than $10 billion in annual exports were removed. Not a bad start, I think. Barry Harrod, Fig Tree Pocket (Qld)
Australians should understand that China is not an enemy. China has never staged a military attack on us, nor has it ever threatened one. In fact, China has not attacked any foreign country in the past 40 years. If you look at the Australian media, a large number of reports suggest China is a threat or an actual enemy. If, for example, the US or any other so-called friendly country builds a sports facility on an independent Pacific island, it would be reported positively, but when China does so it becomes sinister. Through our stupidity we could turn an important and friendly country into an enemy. Forget nuclear submarines and AUKUS, we should become neutral and friendly to China. We would save ourselves a lot of money and angst. Peter Trefely, Clovelly
The giant panda sent some warships along the koala’s coast. The koala and his kiwi mate monitored them very closely (from afar), scattering commercial aircraft as they went. ANZUS? The Quad? AUKUS? Decades of assumptions and vast amounts of money have been spent on these acronyms, and they don’t work. AUKWARD! Michael Preece, Summer Hill
Putting the ‘coal’ in Coalition
I have just received a message from the member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien, urging me to support the Coalition’s “balanced energy mix of nuclear, gas and renewables”. This is a spectacularly dishonest claim. If the Coalition were to be elected and embark on its absurdly expensive plan to build seven nuclear power stations, we would have to find a way to keep our coal-fired power stations running to produce the 60,000 tonnes of steel and the million tonnes of concrete needed for those power stations. All to produce about 5 per cent of our electricity capacity. What the COALition is actually proposing is an unbalanced energy mix of coal, coal and coal, when we urgently need to slow climate change by closing down those dirty power stations. Ian Lowe, Griffith University
The Loy Yang B coal power generator in the Latrobe Valley.Credit: Nine
Labor has been in power for only three years after the Coalition’s nine years. You’d think this would be the perfect opportunity for Peter Dutton to spruik his party’s performance in that time as proof of its economic credentials, its ability to guide the country through natural disasters and pandemics, and its defence and diplomatic skills. Maybe former PM Scott Morrison and ex-deputy Barnaby Joyce could lend a hand. David Farrell, Erskineville
Lost charge of Musk-eteers
Malcolm Knox’s article about the shortcomings of electric vehicles pinpoints why their sales are waning (“My quest to buy an EV stalled … and it’s not just because Musk grinds my gears”, March 1). Their relatively high price, the spare parts issues on some models, and limited recharge stations now make other cars more viable. The “Elon” factor may deter some, but prospective buyers are also acutely aware that despite any altruistic intentions, buying an EV will afford few environmental benefits if they continue to be manufactured using coal-fired energy, transported on petroleum-powered ships and semi-trailers and require recharging by diesel generators in remote areas. Like Knox, I’m delaying the purchase of a new car. But when I do, it will almost certainly be a hybrid. Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that fellow correspondent and ardent green energy advocate Ken Enderby will do his best to convince me otherwise. Col Burns, Lugarno
Elon Musk’s embrace of Donald Trump is difficult to understand, as his company’s reputation is closely tied to his personal image. It is not MAGA supporters who are Tesla’s main customers, but those who care about the environment and wish to cut their emissions. Many would now rather drink arsenic than be seen with a product bearing the Tesla brand, and this is a problem not just for Musk but also for the planet, since Tesla has been at the forefront of the fight against climate change. It’s fair to say that while we still need Tesla, we could certainly do without its chief executive. Let’s hope the company thinks likewise. Ken Enderby, Concord
The litany of excuses against transitioning to an EV has been driven around the block countless times. The withdrawal of sweetener subsidies, stubbornly high prices, range anxiety, Elon Musk’s abusive rants and access to public charging portals have no doubt put many traditional car owners off making the change. Regardless, I finally took the plunge and bought a Chinese BYD Dolphin recently. Just as I was settling into the comfort and convenience of my new EV, a “car care pack” arrived – including a fire-extinguisher and a first-aid kit. This got me worried. A follow-up “are you satisfied” call put me even more on edge. Joseph Ting, Carina
A Tesla Model X.Credit: AP
Elon Musk is the owner of Tesla, but not the founder. Tesla was started by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk was just an early investor. This is a common misconception that neither Musk nor his supporters are quick to correct. Doesn’t matter, though, because it would be unlikely to prevent the company from tanking as it suffers the repercussions of Musk’s unfortunate alliance with Donald Trump (“Wall Street is losing faith in Donald Trump”, February 27). Bill O’Donovan, Thirroul
Is PM coming to his census?
Is the prime minister being seen marching at the Mardi Gras the same one who didn’t want to include LGBTQ questions in the next census? (“Anthony Albanese joins revellers at the 2025 Sydney Mardi Gras as election looms?” March 2). It’s so hard to keep up. Peter Fyfe, Enmore
Medicare with bite
The Greens have listed adding dental care to Medicare as a policy for the coming federal election. This, though costly, is long overdue but surely cheaper than as-yet non-existent submarines. For those not fortunate enough to be able to afford private health insurance, which covers some but not all private dental treatment, the only alternative is a long wait in the public system. Some rebate towards private care would ease the toothache. Stephanie Edwards Leichhardt
Moving image
Just when I thought I had a handle on Rosemary O’Brien she surprises me again with her touching farewell letter to actor Gene Hackman (Letters, March 1). Bill Young, Killcare Heights
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