I'm still astounded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's behavior in the White House. Here was no world leader, but a petulant child who seemed in open defiance of his benefactors, be it his words or manner of dress. The fact that he actually tried to argue with President Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, playing to the cameras in hopes that the media would exert pressure on Trump was actually crazy.
It's like Zelensky didn't know who he was dealing with, or rather, had an inkling and thought he was high and mighty enough on the world stage that he could condescend to the most powerful men on Earth and come out on top. He probably didn't even see it as a gambit. I think he truly thought he held the power in the room, and that the U.S. president could be cowed into capitulation.
He had a very rude awakening. He was caught off-guard so completely that, as Bonchie reported on Tuesday, Zelensky is folding entirely and is now willing to give Trump everything he asked for. Taking to X, Zelensky wrote a message that reads like a man crying "uncle" as loudly as possible and with an element of professional sounding panic:
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace. None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.
We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.
We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.
Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.
Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 4, 2025
None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under…
It's clear Zelensky didn't see this coming. Moreover, I think he thought that he would be relatively okay if anything went south in the Oval Office. European leaders are still more than willing to show just how much they "stand with Ukraine," or more accurately, want to be seen standing with Ukraine. Anything that looks remotely like friendliness towards Russia is politically dangerous to the left, and guess who primarily dominates European politics at this time.
To be sure, the EU said they're stepping up. After the U.S. paused Ukrainian aid, the "ReArm Europe" plan was announced. According to Fox News, the EU is going to dedicate $840 billion to stepping up European defense, which also includes helping Ukraine with supplies and money... over the course of years. It's not a solution that gets Zelensky what he wants or needs right now.
Which leaves Zelensky little option but to fold, but this was always going to be the outcome, because you can't play cards against the guy who already won the pot.
I think Zelensky severely miscalculated, but it wasn't one miscalculation, it was many.
For one, he clearly thought Kamala Harris was going to win the election because Zelensky is, in truth, trapped in the same bubble that much of the left is. It's out of touch with the people, considers those not in their circles beneath them, and are liable to believe each other's hype because of it. Trump's win likely took a lot of world leaders off guard because their bubble didn't let them see any outcome but a Harris win.
Moreover, I think he thought his position on the global stage was more powerful than it actually is. He's received nothing but accolades, magazine covers, celebrity visits, and glad-handing from world leaders, all of whom tell him he's the most important person in the world. Trump and Vance were the first two people to give him a reality check. Not only is he not that powerful, he's not that important.
Both titles of "most powerful" and "most important" belong to Trump. He's so powerful and so important that even Zelensky's best friends in the Republican Party dare not side with him against Trump, and will actively call for Zelensky's resignation for crossing Trump.
Moreover, what's most important to Trump is America's well-being. Ukraine is not exactly high on Trump's list of things that make America better. Ending the war between Russia and Ukraine is far higher, as escalation could literally lead to a world war, and America doesn't want that at all. Even the "I stand with Ukraine" virtue signallers will suddenly think Ukraine's not all that important the moment the war starts and a possible draft is introduced.
Zelenski anticipated none of this because, ultimately, he is a creation of the left, and as such, he has no idea what things are like outside that bubble. When reality came crashing down on him, he was wildly unprepared and overestimated his influence and importance.
Now he's openly groveling.
