Zelensky is not a native speaker of English and was at a disadvantage in a discussion with two native speakers. Whose decision was it to dispense with interpreters?
It was a shameful display and I agree that Zelensky was at a disadvantage not being a native English speaker. In future he might be better speaking through and interpreter. It would make the sort of verbal assault we saw more difficult because you cannot escalate your insults as JD Vance did fast enough to keep the arguement going.
Angela Merkel(whose mother taught English) and who spoke good English always had an interpreter and answered all questions in German.
What should Europe do? well as the Irishman famously said I wouldn't start from here. I would ideally have started form 2014 when Crimea was invaded. Even then Obama was saying the US was pivoting to the Pacific Rim and we needed to spend more.
Sadly I don't hold out much hope for a united European force.The best we can hope for is that the UK, France and Germany get their individual acts together and build large enough armies to work in coalition. We also need to give the Poles all the help we can.
Europe disengaging militarily from the US will take time (and likely be messy). To achieve peace in Ukraine, or at least a lasting ceasefire, would be best achieved with US involvement so Starmer and other European leaders would seem to need to keep talking to the Trump administration.
Very poor from all 3. Starmer in impossible position diplomacy. Made all of Fridays headlines look silly. No one should take any pleasure in having a unhinged man as leader of the western world. Who knows what will happen now but important not to become anti American as many decent Americans didn't vote for this even Republicans. Not a excuse to become too involved in Europe either if not right for uk. I just hope he resigns soon or is removed by FBi like a episode of a American tv drama. Thanks for extra article as yesterday's immediately out of date I didn't even read it. Not a criticism just events sometimes overtake planned articles.
Thanks for that. I don't see Trump resigning any time soon and he's put the FBI under Maga control, so they aren't going to remove him. It's a pleasing thought though.
Out of interest what did Zelensky do wrong - apart from pointing out to Vance that Putin has repeatedly broken agreements, which is both unquestionably true, and highly relevant given Trump’s unjustified confidence that Putin can be trusted.
I think it was clear that Vance had some pre-prepared points that he was determined to get over in front of the press. He’s always been against helping Ukraine - he was one of only a handful of Senators voting against it historically. And he could gain some brownie points with Trump and the MAGA crowd by berating Zelensky for “not being grateful enough”.
There's a conspiracy theory that Zelensky deliberately provoked Trump in order to grandstand to his supporters in Ukraine, possibly as a prelude to actually doing the minerals-for-peace deal. In other words that it was all theatre. It is profoundly embarrassing for a political leader to be seen to be selling his country's natural resources, as it were, to the highest bidder. This was to show that he is no pushover.
A rival theory is that Trump and Vance deliberately berated Zelensky in this public display in order to send a message to Vladimir Putin that the Ukraine leader is on a shoogly peg as we say in Scotland. Trump is trying to get Putin to the negotiating table and if he thinks that the US is hostile to Zelensky the Russian leader might be more willing to play ball.
I don't think either of these theories is true. I just think Trump lost his temper because Zelensky, unlike Keir Starmer, didn't lick his metaphorical boots. Stood up to him. But the event dismal though it was, does seem to be something of a turning point. It has certainly galvanised Europe into getting its military act together - or at least saying it will.
So who knows. The whole miserable even may lead somewhere.
The problem is that with their public framing (Ukraine should never have gotten into this war, negotiations haven’t been tried) the Trump administration are creating the “facts” which negotiations will take place around. Zelensky needs to publicly point out that Ukraine has been invaded since 2014 and Russia has repeatedly breached the negotiated agreements. If that is not part of the framing, then there is no need for the enforcement mechanism around any agreement, which is (understandably) Ukraine’s number one priority.
Yes, Zelensky could have sat quietly in the corner and that could have avoided the specific car crash, but it would have stored up more problems in the long run.
Zelensky is not a native speaker of English and was at a disadvantage in a discussion with two native speakers. Whose decision was it to dispense with interpreters?
It was a shameful display and I agree that Zelensky was at a disadvantage not being a native English speaker. In future he might be better speaking through and interpreter. It would make the sort of verbal assault we saw more difficult because you cannot escalate your insults as JD Vance did fast enough to keep the arguement going.
Angela Merkel(whose mother taught English) and who spoke good English always had an interpreter and answered all questions in German.
What should Europe do? well as the Irishman famously said I wouldn't start from here. I would ideally have started form 2014 when Crimea was invaded. Even then Obama was saying the US was pivoting to the Pacific Rim and we needed to spend more.
Sadly I don't hold out much hope for a united European force.The best we can hope for is that the UK, France and Germany get their individual acts together and build large enough armies to work in coalition. We also need to give the Poles all the help we can.
Europe disengaging militarily from the US will take time (and likely be messy). To achieve peace in Ukraine, or at least a lasting ceasefire, would be best achieved with US involvement so Starmer and other European leaders would seem to need to keep talking to the Trump administration.
Meant to add I think Zelensky will need to resign in a few weeks. Can't see how he can negotiate now. What do you think?
Very poor from all 3. Starmer in impossible position diplomacy. Made all of Fridays headlines look silly. No one should take any pleasure in having a unhinged man as leader of the western world. Who knows what will happen now but important not to become anti American as many decent Americans didn't vote for this even Republicans. Not a excuse to become too involved in Europe either if not right for uk. I just hope he resigns soon or is removed by FBi like a episode of a American tv drama. Thanks for extra article as yesterday's immediately out of date I didn't even read it. Not a criticism just events sometimes overtake planned articles.
Thanks for that. I don't see Trump resigning any time soon and he's put the FBI under Maga control, so they aren't going to remove him. It's a pleasing thought though.
Out of interest what did Zelensky do wrong - apart from pointing out to Vance that Putin has repeatedly broken agreements, which is both unquestionably true, and highly relevant given Trump’s unjustified confidence that Putin can be trusted.
I think it was clear that Vance had some pre-prepared points that he was determined to get over in front of the press. He’s always been against helping Ukraine - he was one of only a handful of Senators voting against it historically. And he could gain some brownie points with Trump and the MAGA crowd by berating Zelensky for “not being grateful enough”.
There's a conspiracy theory that Zelensky deliberately provoked Trump in order to grandstand to his supporters in Ukraine, possibly as a prelude to actually doing the minerals-for-peace deal. In other words that it was all theatre. It is profoundly embarrassing for a political leader to be seen to be selling his country's natural resources, as it were, to the highest bidder. This was to show that he is no pushover.
A rival theory is that Trump and Vance deliberately berated Zelensky in this public display in order to send a message to Vladimir Putin that the Ukraine leader is on a shoogly peg as we say in Scotland. Trump is trying to get Putin to the negotiating table and if he thinks that the US is hostile to Zelensky the Russian leader might be more willing to play ball.
I don't think either of these theories is true. I just think Trump lost his temper because Zelensky, unlike Keir Starmer, didn't lick his metaphorical boots. Stood up to him. But the event dismal though it was, does seem to be something of a turning point. It has certainly galvanised Europe into getting its military act together - or at least saying it will.
So who knows. The whole miserable even may lead somewhere.
I think he should not had argument with Vance Trumpin front of press as has weakened his negotiating position if he goes back to the white house
The problem is that with their public framing (Ukraine should never have gotten into this war, negotiations haven’t been tried) the Trump administration are creating the “facts” which negotiations will take place around. Zelensky needs to publicly point out that Ukraine has been invaded since 2014 and Russia has repeatedly breached the negotiated agreements. If that is not part of the framing, then there is no need for the enforcement mechanism around any agreement, which is (understandably) Ukraine’s number one priority.
Yes, Zelensky could have sat quietly in the corner and that could have avoided the specific car crash, but it would have stored up more problems in the long run.
I agree with what Zelensky did. Just a pity way he did it