Zelensky's visit to Washington was supposed to strengthen Ukraine's relations with the US, but it turned into a diplomatic fiasco: a public dispute, an early end to the meeting, and hints of a review of aid. Was this risk justified, and what result did Zelensky want to achieve by interfering in a discussion with Trump and J.D. Vance under the cameras?
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There were many expectations for the visit of the delegation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington.
First, the signing of the framework agreement on mineral resources was supposed to remove the blocking factor in Ukrainian-American relations of the last two weeks.
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Second, the visit was supposed to be a victory for Ukrainian diplomacy. It was important for Zelensky to meet with US President Trump before Putin, Ukrainian officials have emphasized in private conversations since late January.
However, the five minutes of the press conference before the talks led to a fiasco. Zelensky had a heated argument with Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance on camera, was kicked out of the White House, the agreement was not signed, and the US began to consider stopping aid to Ukraine.
The most striking illustration of the diplomatic disaster was the devastated expression on the face of Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova.
How and why did this happen?
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga during the meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelensky at the White House, February 28, 2025. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Timeline of the fiasco
The visit started off promisingly.
Two days before, Trump withdrew accusations of dictatorship against Zelensky, extended sanctions against Russia, and even promised to continue military aid to Ukraine at least until peace was concluded.
On the day of the visit, he met Zelensky on the porch of the White House. And the Ukrainian delegation prominently displayed Oleksandr Usyk's belt, which Zelensky had promised to give to Trump, a connoisseur of boxing artifacts.
The 40-minute press conference lasted without direct clashes. But Trump spoke about the role of the US as a mediator. And he downplayed the importance of discussions on security guarantees, while Zelensky emphasized them again and again. One journalist asked an outrageous question about Zelensky's clothes, to which the president elegantly joked.
But it didn't come to a fight. The explosion happened at the very end.
Meeting of the Ukrainian delegation and US leaders in the Oval Office, Washington, February 28, 2025. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Trump replied that he could take a tough stance on Putin, but he did not consider it effective for reaching an agreement – a statement that is not new to him at all. And he had already said he would ask the last question, but Vance intervened in the conversation.
The US vice president backed the boss, saying that previous leader Joe Biden spent four years harshly criticizing Putin at press conferences, but that didn't deter the invasion. Therefore, the new administration will seek a diplomatic path.
It seemed like the reporter's final question was about to come. However, suddenly Zelensky tried to either engage Vance in a discussion or reprimand him.
“Can I ask a question?” Zelensky asked. He listed how often the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire during the terms of Barack Obama, Trump, and Biden. “What diplomacy are you talking about, JD?” Zelensky asked.
Vance reacted sharply. And then the same brutal 5-minute live argument unfolded that shocked everyone.
Video from the press conference in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025.
Is the game worth the candle?
One of the axioms that my fellow students and I were taught in the international law course at Karazin KhNU was downright simple.
Every action in the international arena should aim to achieve a specific result. First, the result is determined, then the actions and mechanisms that can lead to it.
In recent weeks, the Ukrainian authorities have been repeatedly advised to be cool-headed and not argue with Trump in public, if they want good relations with the new US government.
This was discussed by representatives of the American administration, Senator Lindsey Graham, who is close to Trump, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a “Trump supporter.”
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, February 28, 2025. Photo by Getty Images
Let's imagine that Zelensky did not simply give vent to emotions and succumb to the Vance-Trump provocation, as some Western analysts believe. Then what result did he want to achieve by getting involved in a discussion with Trump under the cameras?
- Strengthen European solidarity?
- Unite Ukrainians around the figure of a strong president who is not afraid to argue with the US president in the Oval Office?
- To get messages to ordinary Americans?
- Defend principled positions on camera and convince Vance or Trump?
- To tear down something unacceptable that is imposed behind closed doors but not announced publicly?
The answer is probably known only on Bankova Street.
European leaders have indeed unanimously expressed solidarity. And Ukrainians are writing posts on social media about the strong, brave president of Ukraine.
But will it help Ukraine shoot down ballistic missiles if the flow of American interceptors to Patriot stops?
Are we really ready to quickly replace Starlink in the event of a shutdown, as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov says? Are we fully prepared for the consequences of the lack of US assistance?
What result did Ukrainian diplomacy want to achieve in Washington? And did it really achieve it?
