By Faith Ball
On Friday, Feb. 28, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy met for a televised meeting at the White House.
The meeting began cordially as Trump and Zelenskyy discussed ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s main interest in this deal was ascertaining Ukraine’s rare minerals in exchange for U.S. assistance in Ukraine’s economic reconstruction.
However, around 38 minutes into the meeting, Trump offered talks of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, but Zelenskyy opposed the idea, citing that Russia had broken all past ceasefires with Ukraine.
“Since 2022, people have been dying on the contact line, and nobody has stopped (Putin.) In 2019, I signed with him a deal. Macron and Merkel… We signed the ceasefire…We signed with him a gas contract. After that, he broke (the) ceasefire,” said Zelenskyy in the meeting.
In response, Vance said, “Mr. President, with respect, I find it disrespectful to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Kyle Curtis, 26, of Caledonia, said, “Vance… threw a grenade. Vance is a bulldog, but that’s also what he was voted in for. I wish he would’ve reined it back a little bit, but I’m not too incredibly hurt by it.”
The meeting escalated when Zelenskyy stayed firm in his opposition to a ceasefire.
“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country,” Trump said.
Carzenei Damstra, 30, of Grand Rapids, said, “I don’t like the way Trump treated him, and I feel like that was very disrespectful and childish. Zelenskyy could be upset; he’s under a lot of pressure. He’s at the point where he is begging… for help. ”
Toward the end of the meeting, Trump and Vance accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful for the U.S. military aid given to Ukraine. Vance asked Zelenskyy if he had even said thank you since he arrived at the White House.
“It’s like, once Vance called him out, then he did a complete 180,” said Ally Spooelman, a 22-year-old economics major from Ravenna.
“I think he did this performatively, honestly. Literally, for the…next few days following anyone who said something for/about Ukraine, he said ‘thank you’ to,” said Curtis.
At the end of the meeting, Brian Glenn, a reporter from right-wing TV station Real America’s Voice, said to Zelenskyy, “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit.”
Zelenskyy was visibly uncomfortable by this interaction but laughed it off and said he’d wear a nice suit after the war had ended.
This comment gathered a mixed reaction around campus.
“I feel like that was offensive and that was to embarrass him,” Damstra said.
Inversely, Curtis also took notice of the lack of formal wear.
“I come from the other side, where that was one of the first things I noticed in the meeting… I saw that he wasn’t wearing anything nice and proper,” he said.
After the televised meeting, Trump canceled the joint news conference and the deal signing that was planned to follow. Zelenskyy was then asked to leave. Three days later, on Mar. 3, Trump suspended all military aid to Ukraine.
“I feel like this conversation kinda shows other countries like we are not playing around anymore… you wanted us to help you, we did, now we’re going to end it,” said Spooelman. “I think that other countries are going to see that and be like ‘they’re standing on business.’”
This conversation between the two presidents has made a lot of Americans question the future of the countries’ foreign relations, especially with other members of NATO.
“I feel like President Trump would have to do… more than just this conversation… This was big, you know what I’m saying, but for something like that to happen, I think there would have to be more following,” Damstra said.
“I don’t think we’re going to lose our allies, but I think our allies are going to realize how much they need us. I’m hoping this… will make them more independent and less reliant on us… I think we are gonna separate a little, but ultimately, we’re coming together for the same goal,” Curtis said.
