For the months that led to the American elections last autumn, the prospect of a second presidency of Trump deepened the uncertainty among the Ukrainians on how the lasting American support would have proven to be in a war that threatened their national survival.
After the disastrous meeting of President Volodymyr Zelensky with President Trump at the White House on Friday, many Ukrainians were moving towards a conclusion that seemed perfectly clear: Trump chose a team and is not that of Ukraine.
In a stunning meeting, the fear once unthinkable that Ukraine would have been forced to engage in a long war against a stronger opponent without the support of the United States seemed to approach reality.
“For Ukraine, he is clarifying, although not in an exceptional way,” said Phillips O’Brien, professor of international relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in an interview. “Ukraine can now count on European states only for the support he needs to fight.”
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said on Saturday that Europe must be with Ukraine and prevent the country from “having to accept submission”.
“The scene in the White House yesterday took my breath away”, “ He told the German news agency aboard an airplane. “I would never have believed that we would ever have to defend Ukraine from the United States.”
An immediate result was that the Ukrainians, including opposition politicians, generally supported Mr. Zelensky on Saturday for not having folded to Mr. Trump despite enormous pressure.
Maryna Schomak, a civilian whose diagnosis of son’s cancer was complicated by the destruction of the largest hospital for children’s children from Ukraine by a Russian mission strike, said that Mr. Zelensky had led himself with dignity.
“They gathered with a goal – to put pressure on us and undermine our authority on the global political stage,” said Trump and his team.
Mr. Zelensky reported Saturday who had not completely renounced the hope of repairing the relationship with Mr. Trump. By publishing on social media, he did everything to thank the United States, perhaps trying to face the complaint of Mr. Trump on Friday who was ungrateful.
“I am grateful to President Trump, the congress for their bipartisan support and the American people,” he wrote. “Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of vast scale invasion.”
At the same time, Zelensky began to lay the foundations to move forward with the European countries that were located alongside Kiev. Ukraine announced plans on Saturday for a joint weapon company with France that would have been financed by the interest earned by frozen Russian activities.
Later during the day, Zelensky met Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Great Britain, who was a supporter of the Ukrainian president in front of the cunning residents of Mr. Trump.
In a clear contrast with the meeting on Friday in Washington, the visit to 10 Downing Street began with a warm handshake and a short hug. He included a promise of Mr. Starmer to the Ukrainian president who “you have complete support throughout the United Kingdom and we are with you and Ukraine for as long as it takes”.
On Sunday, Zelensky will participate in a summit of European leaders hosted by Mr. Starmer.
While much of the attention was focused on the shocking tone and on the theatrical of the dress delivered by the American president to a putative ally, Professor O’Brien, the scholar of Sant’Andrea, said that Mr. Trump’s comments suggested that the root of public breakdown went more deeply.
“He was trying to put pressure on Zelensky to accept a ceasefire along the lines of Putin and Zelensky refused,” said Professor O’Brien, referring to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. “Trump comes out and explicitly says it in the end.”
Trump had shouted to the Ukrainian leader, “you are buried there” and said: “Your people are dying. You are running in low soldiers.”
While Mr. Zelensky tried to defend himself, Mr. Trump talked about him.
“No, listen,” he continued. “And then you say: ‘I don’t want a fire. I don’t want to cease the fire. “
The exchange, said Professor O’Brien, reflects the belief of Mr. Trump that “Ukraine should be silent and take the conditions of Trump and Putin”.
The real face that pushed the show, many Ukrainians and analysts believe, is that Mr. Zelensky rejected some of the terms of Mr. Trump.
Along the first line, some soldiers said that the realization was sinking as Mr. Trump probably did not help Ukraine. “Trump chose his part in this war,” said Pvt. Serhiy Hnezdilov in a telephone interview from the front on Saturday.
Private Hnezdilov said he had supported Mr. Zelensky’s position, adding that he thought that the attempt to humiliate the Ukrainian leader was probably the goal of the invitation to the White House.
“The scandal we witnessed was essentially the sole purpose of that meeting,” said the private individual. “It seemed absolutely absurd, considering that we, Ukrainians, have always considered America as an example of democracy and, above all, of values”.
Ukrainians may have been naive, he added.
However, many Ukrainians were shaken by the fall of the public in Washington and Mr. Zelensky tried to reassure his tired nation of war on Saturday.
“People in Ukraine must know they are not sun, that their interests are represented in every country and in every corner of the world,” he said in a note.
Leaders all over Europe turned to social media to express the support of Ukraine and Mr. Zelensky offered his personal thanks for each declaration while he republished them.
But Mr. Zelensky recognized that losing US military support would be a devastating blow.
“It will be difficult for us,” he told Fox News after the encounter of the White House. “That’s why I’m here.”
Mr. Zelensky’s national position seemed to be stable in the immediate consequences of the meeting, despite a declaration by Senator Lindsey Graham, a republican of the South Carolina, asking Zelensky to resign or be fired. “I don’t know if we can ever do business,” said Graham, just a few days after praising the Ukrainian leader as an ideal ally.
Zelensky received a public support signal from the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who would have taken on the presidency if Mr. Zelensky resigned. “Full support for the president of Ukraine!” Stefanchuk wrote in a post on social media.
The opposition figures also supported Mr. Zelensky.
“Even if I do not fully agree with the policies of President Zelensky, I must say that I am sincerely grateful to him for having resisted this pressure,” said Natalia Pipa, a member of Parliament for the Holos Party, in an interview.
“Trump behaved disgusting and condescendingly,” he added.
The path from the path to Ukraine, politicians and analysts have said, was to try to repair relationships with the United States, where defense contractors are an electoral college with an interest in continuous American support, while trying to support European support. Mr. Zelensky will also try to obtain a role in negotiations for a peace agreement, although Mr. Trump seems willing to deal directly with Mr. Putin.
But the direct anger to Mr. Zelensky in the oval office came on a tense background in which Mr. Trump has increasingly aligned with the Kremlin both in words and in actions.
Ever since Mr. Trump took the phone on February 12th for a 90 -minute chat with Mr. Putin, he defined Mr. Zelensky “a dictator”; He falsely accused Ukraine of starting war; And he pushed the Ukrainian leader to access the requests of his administration, publishing that “he moves better quickly or that he does not remain a country”.
Last week, the State Department interrupted an initiative that invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore the Energy Network of Ukraine after the attacks by the Russian military.
During Kiev’s pressure, Mr. Trump said he would “adored” Russia in the group of 7 – a gathering of the richest democracies in the world – and that “it was a mistake to throw them out”.
He offered generous concessions of Putin on the territory of NATO and Ukine even before the start of the interviews and repeated the requests of the Kremlin for the elections in Ukraine.
The White House also cut funding for pro-democracy programs as part of its efforts to dismantle USAID, a move celebrated by the Kremlin.
The Trump administration also offered public support to far -right parties in Europe known for their support in Moscow, including Afd in Germany.
The prosecutor general of the United States, Pam Bondi, also dissolved an FBI Task Force focused on the survey on foreign influence operations and the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, ordered that Russia was removed as the objective of the planning of the IT security of the United States.
Washington also sided with Moscow in one vote in the United Nations that would condemn the Russian aggression on the third anniversary of the Ukrainian invasion – breaking the allies to join a small group of nations including North Korea and Belarus.
Having undergone years of loss and suffering, the Ukrainians would only want to see the end of the war, but not if the price is their freedom, Mr. Zelensky has insisted.
Natalka Sosnytska, coordinator of the program at The Behind Blue Eyes Project, a Ukrainian organization that helps children with a war trauma, echoed to that feeling. “Of course, we want peace, but only after our victory,” he said. “Standing, Zelensky has preserved our dignity as a nation.”
Liubov Soludko AND Yurii Syvala Contributed relationships.