Most of the free world unites behind Ukraine after Trump

In contrast to Donald Trump’s flippant comment that his strident clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “great television”, a separate player with much at stake, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, sent a message that reflected the reactions of serious observers: “Dear Zelensky, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” he wrote on X.

The only winner from the unedifying spectacle was Vladimir Putin and his revanchist ambition to recreate the former Soviet empire. US and Western interest in the matter, as The Wall Street Journal editorialised, is shutting down Putin’s imperial project without US soldiers ever having to fire a shot. Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance berating Ukraine in front of the world will make it harder to achieve. The fracas should not have happened. No Western democratic leader – least of all one courageously fighting an existential, David-and-Goliath battle against Putin’s lawless invasion – deserves the bullying and hectoring Mr Zelensky was subjected to in the Oval Office.

In their inexplicable rush to embrace the Russian tyrant, Mr Trump and Mr Vance appear unable to comprehend that turning over Ukraine to Putin would be catastrophic. Mr Zelensky might have done better during the excruciating encounter had he not reacted when, out of left field, Mr Vance suddenly accused him of gross ingratitude over US help, knowing Mr Zelensky almost never makes a public address without thanking his beleaguered nation’s allies. The Ukrainian war leader might have done better, too, had he not been so obviously riled when a so-called “MAGA” reporter, recently inducted into the White House press corps in place of representatives of leading news agencies, raised the trivial question of whether Mr Zelensky was being disrespectful by not wearing a suit.

It remains unclear whether, as has been claimed by some, Mr Zelensky was “set up” for what Washington correspondent Joe Kelly described as the “diplomatic car crash with far-reaching consequences”. With the Ukrainian leader unceremoniously leaving without signing an agreement giving the US the right to exploit Ukraine’s vast reserves of vital rare minerals, the consequences of the “car crash” cannot be overstated.

Anthony Albanese, rightly, has joined leaders from democracies across Europe and beyond, led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to pledge continuing, total support for Mr Zelensky and Ukrainians. Declining to weigh in on the details, Mr Albanese declared: “We stand unequivocally with Ukraine in their struggle because we regard that as a struggle for upholding international law. We (will) continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.” This is the struggle, he said, of a democratic nation against Putin’s authoritarian regime, with imperialistic designs beyond Ukraine.

That view is reflected in the strong support for Mr Zelensky expressed by European leaders – apart from Hungary’s Viktor Orban, a close friend of Putin’s – gathered in London for a special summit to deal with the aftermath of the Oval Office fracas. King Charles is set to roll out the red welcome carpet for Mr Zelensky. Problematic as Mr Trump’s approach has been, he has succeeded in galvanising European nations on defence.

It is not too late, hopefully, to mend the fences unwisely destroyed during the unfortunate meeting, and that the trillion-dollar rare minerals agreement Mr Trump says is vital for the US and Ukraine will yet be signed. Implanting US mine workers in Ukraine would give Mr Zelensky at least some of what he has been seeking in terms of US assurances of security backing. During the encounter Mr Trump shouted that the odds were stacked against Ukraine and that Mr Zelensky was “gambling with World War III”. Fair enough, but the US leader needs to understand the primary lesson of World War II – that appeasing tyrants is no path to lasting peace.