Diplomatic car crash with far-reaching consequences

Donald Trump’s bid to secure a negotiated end to the war in Eastern Europe has descended into chaos after an unprecedented public row with Volodymyr Zelensky which played out blow-by-blow in incredible scenes before the world’s media.

This was a diplomatic car-crash in slow motion which will have far reaching consequences. The bid for peace in Eastern Europe has now suffered a key setback and its revival will hinge on Trump and Zelensky swiftly repairing their relationship. No serious deal can be reached without the agreement of Kyiv.

It is also a political setback for Trump, who has been talking up the prospect of ending the war within weeks and holding talks with key European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to get them on board.

However, a serious agreement on such a short timeline now appears to be a remote possibility. Zelensky left the White House without having signed the key minerals deal that was being pushed on him by the Trump administration.

This is an embarrassment for Trump. And an unnecessary one. Watching the drama unfold, it appeared the rupture in relations could have been avoided had there been a greater exercise of circumspection and grace.

Yet Zelensky – pushed into a corner by JD Vance and Trump – courted danger by questioning the new administration’s trust of Vladimir Putin. It was legitimate for Zelensky to remind the White House who the real enemy is in Eastern Europe, but doing so before the cameras was unwise.

Trump and Vance took the bait. And while the argument made for riveting television, it was nothing short of a diplomatic fiasco. While Trump is intent on doing things his way, this was a reminder that perhaps he shouldn’t.

Parading foreign leaders before the media comes with risks. Given his public differences with Zelensky, Trump would have known he was taking an unnecessary gamble.

While the Ukrainian leader later posted a statement thanking Trump, the disagreement left no doubt about where relations stand between Kyiv and Washington – Zelensky does not trust the White House.

It appears that Kyiv is wondering whether it has a partner or an adversary in Trump. Following the tense Oval Office exchange, Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsen accused the US of having “knifed” the country in the back.

While the dust is yet to settle, it is clear there remain major and substantive points of difference between Washington and Kyiv that extend beyond a mere public disagreement. The most important is whether America will provide a security guarantee for Kyiv in any peace deal.

Trump has played down the prospect of the US providing such a guarantee, with this refusal being one of the major stumbling blocks in winning the sought after minerals deal with Zelensky. The US President is instead minimising any prospect of America underwriting Ukrainian security and looking for Europe to step up to the plate.

The public row with Zelensky will make Europe’s response to the realignment of US foreign policy even more challenging as its leaders find themselves caught between supporting Kyiv while also keeping Washington onside as Trump threatens them with tariffs and re-engages with Russia.

A meeting of 18 European leaders in London this Sunday will provide greater clarity on their reaction. But there were immediate signals of support for Zelensky with Polish President Donald Tusk tweeting: “Dear @ZelenskyyUa dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone”.

Britain’s shadow Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Robert Jenrick also tweeted: “To think the bust of Winston Churchill was in the same room as it unfolded. He would be turning in his grave if he saw that happen.”