Steve Gutterman
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s White House visit had a lot of potential. It could have produced a mineral-resources deal that would have roped Ukraine and the United States together, at least on paper, and given U.S. President Donald Trump more incentive to support Kyiv in its defense against the Russian onslaught. It could have brought some clarity on what kind of security guarantees, if any, Washington is prepared to offer Kyiv in the event of a cease-fire or peace deal with Russia. And if nothing else, Zelenskyy and Trump could have buried the hatchet after a remarkable exchange of criticism last week.
Instead, the hatchet came out again, sharper than ever. Zelenskyy departed the White House early – the minerals deal left without signature and a joint press conference canceled — after being berated by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in what was by many accounts an unprecedentedly acrimonious meeting before journalists in the Oval Office.
The remarkable exchange did not just raise doubts about the fate of the natural-resources pact. It added to already towering uncertainty over the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine and over the prospects for any kind of a deal that would halt or end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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