Donald Trump walks back Volodymyr Zelensky spray as analysts claim he’s ‘found a way to end the war’
Based on this awkward encounter, Donald Trump is either playing mind games with the press or he’s genuinely losing his marbles.
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Donald Trump is either playing mind games with the press or he’s genuinely losing his marbles, after claiming he forgot about posting wild comments about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
There have been claims the US President is using an intentionally provocative approach to dealing with issues facing the US by whipping up a firestorm of outrage with offensive jabs, Trump purposefully directs the world’s attention to any topic he chooses.
He definitely got everyone to look last week when he called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator while addressing the war with Russia.
Those comments churned and churned through the global media, with many claiming the 78-year-old is “dangerous” given his comparatively soft stance on Vladimir Putin.
His sudden pivot towards Russia has sent EU leaders scrambling, but the US President says there is “a lot of progress” towards a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine and that negotiations were at a crucial stage.
“It’ll either be fairly soon or it won’t be at all,” Trump told a press conference with UK leader Kier Starmer.
During that meeting, Trump walked back his derogatory comments aimed at Zelensky, attempting to claim that he’d “forgotten” calling him a dictator just last week.
“Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” Trump said. “I have a lot of respect for him.”
As is Trump’s style, it all hinges on how much the US benefits from the war ending.
In the three years of conflict, the US has backed the nation to the tune of $65.9 billion (A$103b) in military aid. An envoy of tanks, anti-air systems and mountains of ammunition has assisted Ukraine’s efforts to push back the constant Russian offensive. But that is all set to end under the Republican’s tenure.
Things are moving quickly after Trump’s “dictator” spray.
Zelensky’s initial rejection of the deal to give the US preferential access to resources was what prompted the backlash, but a lot can happen in a week.
On Friday, Trump will host the Ukrainian president at the White House and sign a deal granting Washington access to the country’s oil, gas and rare earth metals.
Zelensky demanded US security guarantees as part of any deal, but Trump has refused to commit to anything as yet, simply claiming that “we’ll be dig, dig, digging”.
It is all part of Trump’s campaign pledge to recoup “losses” from the aid the US provided to Ukraine and while it appears to be slowly coming together, there are a million questions that remain unanswered.
‘Peace, prosperity to everyone’
Some analysts hold firm that Trump’s strategy is a slice of genius, claiming Ukraine is caught in an impossible meat grinder that will continue no matter the level of support from allied nations.
“Trump has taken an unwinnable war, found a way to end it, and bring peace, prosperity and security to everyone,” Fox News’ K.T. McFarland wrote this week.
“The deal gives the US access to much-needed rare earth minerals and helps us recoup some of our investment in the Ukraine war. A win for us.
“It helps rebuild Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure. It puts thousands of American engineers, miners, builders and even bankers on the ground in eastern Ukraine, serving as a security guarantee to Ukraine. A win for Ukraine.”
McFarland believes Trump’s placating of Putin is a wise step towards fixing complex relations with Russia.
“It gives the US an opening to a better relationship with Russia with an aim to driving a wedge in the anti-American Sino-Russian alliance. A win for the US and our allies.
“It gives Russia an off-ramp to a difficult war and holds open the possibility of improved relations with the US, including in trade and investment. A win for Russia.”
We’ll have to see exactly how “everyone wins” in the coming weeks.
Questions still loom
As relations between longstanding US allies tense-up under Trump, some analysts claim it is still yet to be seen if handshaking with Russia will yield positive long-term results.
An article published in the The Atlantic, an outlet Trump has previously described as radically left-wing, has turned its back around on the US President, claiming his move against Europe at the UN is a seismic departure from a principle that has propped up 80 years of US foreign policy.
Historian Anne Applebaum says Trump has brazenly burnt a bridge with key European allies in the same style he has dealt with interior political opponents in the US.
He believes he has the best plan for each problem and is willing to sour relations to get his way.
“By doing that, Trump is saying, ‘I don’t care anymore about alliances. I’m not interested in your opinions. I’m going to do a deal with this dictator over your head’,” Applebaum said.
“And that’s a message that is heard not just in every European capital, but in every allied capital around the planet as a sign that the US is changing.”
Applebaum argues Trump has now set off an uncontrollable domino effect.
“What happens to our trade relationships with Europe and with Asia? What about the US companies that have enjoyed special favour in those markets?” she said.
“All these things that have governed US behaviour and allied behaviour all over the world for 80 years, now disappear.”
Originally published as Donald Trump walks back Volodymyr Zelensky spray as analysts claim he’s ‘found a way to end the war’
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