Today’s news is dominated by the Oval Office confrontation between Donald Trump and JD Vance on one side, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on the other. This is what happened:
Was this an ambush, planned in advance by Trump and Vance? Or was it a spontaneous response to Zelensky’s unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire? Or was it mostly about the fact that, as Vance said, Zelensky campaigned with the opposition party last fall?
Zelensky left the White House without signing the mineral deal that everyone thought would be done today. After Zelensky’s departure, Trump took questions from reporters about what happened:
Zelensky was at a disadvantage in the Oval Office, because his English is not perfect and he was speaking softly. He tried to interrupt Trump, but it was impossible to hear him. So I am not sure exactly what Zelensky’s position is. Still, he didn’t come off well: the only point that really came through is that he does not want a ceasefire.
But Trump’s position is clear: he wants an end to the war. He wants an immediate ceasefire. And he sees Zelensky as the main obstacle to achieving that goal. Zelensky apparently prefers to hold out, but Trump is correct in saying that Ukraine can hold out only with American aid. So Zelensky’s position is fundamentally untenable. We want an end to the killing; he is willing to keep fighting, but can only do so with our help–something like $350 billion worth so far. (Let that number sink in.) [UPDATE: That was Trump’s number, but see below.] It seems to me that Trump–and Vance, whose contributions were effective–hold the high ground here. Zelensky has no claim on our aid if he is pursuing a policy that diverges from ours. There is no compelling American interest in keeping the war going.
Democrats, of course, are hysterical about today’s events, blaming Trump for not fully supporting the sainted Zelensky. But I think they misread the temper of the American people. Democrats don’t care about the $350 billion, but lots of taxpayers do. Democrats may be eager to keep the war going, after something like a million casualties. But most Americans see it differently.
So in my view, today’s Oval Office confrontation was a clarifying moment. I think more Americans now understand President Trump’s attitude toward the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and most of them will agree with Trump’s position: the overriding necessity is to bring the war to an end. That message came through loud and clear, no matter how much the Democratic Party press may try to obscure it.
UPDATE: This video covers the entire Oval Office press availability. It is useful context, as most of the event was cordial. See also Hugh Hewitt’s comments, which I think are basically correct:
Everyone who wants to comment on today has to watch this entire tape and hopefully realize that at approximately the 38 minute mark President Zelensky asks a question of Vice President Vance which isn’t really a question. (My guess is that someone gave President Zelensky really… https://t.co/o7cgQGqfeQ
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) March 1, 2025
All of Hugh’s comments are worth taking in.
FURTHER UPDATE: A friend writes to say that $350 billion is a made-up number. He thinks we have given around $100 billion in military assistance, and maybe $50 to $75 billion in other aid. That does sound more plausible to me, but it also tells you something when numbers casually tossed out can be $100 billion or $200 billion apart. We may need to update the old quip–a hundred billion here, a hundred billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.
