Trump's treatment of Zelenskyy a 'disgrace' and 'embarrassment,' Manitoba Ukrainian says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London, U.K. as European leaders meet over peace deal to present to Trump
A heated clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has left some in Manitoba's Ukrainian community in outrage and dismay.
But while condemnations continue pouring days after Friday's incident, one foreign policy expert says the spat can be put behind.
Raising their voices and speaking over one another at a meeting on the Oval Office on Friday, Trump and the U.S. Vice-President JD Vance scolded Zelenskyy, accusing him of not being thankful for the support the United States has provided in the war, while also calling him "disrespectful" and an agitator "gambling with World War Three."
The fiery showdown was "a complete disgrace and utter embarrassment" to Nick Krawetz, a volunteer in Winnipeg's Ukrainian community, who categorized the U.S. president's words, tone and demeanour as disrespect to Zelenskyy and his country.
"The so-called leader of the free world who's repeating Russian propaganda … there are no words to describe this," he said.
"It is a complete disregard of bravery and heroism and Ukraine's agency as a sovereign, independent nation."
The meeting in the Oval Office was watched by Krawetz's family still living in Ukraine, he said, who, like many other Ukrainians, are now dealing with an added load of stress and anxiety from the shift in Washington's support.
"The morale will be immediately impacted on the front lines," he said. "This directly impacts the lives of every single Ukrainian who is already dealing with daily missile attacks, drones flying over their heads," he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left for London on Saturday morning ahead of a European defence summit hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the U.S. in partnership with other European leaders on Sunday.
Canada was not mentioned as one of the countries invited to join the Sunday meeting when Starmer discussed the event during his trip to Washington to meet with Trump earlier this week.
Winnipeg South MP Ben Carr said on Friday Ukraine doesn't deserve to be belittled or patronized after the country has defended not only their sovereignty but the interests of democracies in the world, including Canada.
"What they deserve from our allies, from their allies, is a reaffirmation that we will be unwavering in our support," he said. "If anything, they need to be recognized for their bravery and their courage in the face of what has been a terrifying ordeal."
Carr is holding on to the hope that "cooler heads will prevail" after the clash, but said under no circumstance should Ukraine be held responsible for the war or see its future compromised to get security assurance from its allies.
"What I would like to see is for the rest of the world … but the Europeans in particular to start to mobilize to the extent that Canada has," he said, including seizing Russian assets to finance Ukraine's military campaign.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew showed his support for the country in a social media post on Friday, where he said "Zelenskyy is a hero" and that Ukraine will always be a "free, independent, democratic nation."
Zelenskyy's approach draws praise, criticism
In Brandon, Kateryna Doboshynska, a Ukrainian business owner, said she held onto her country's national anthem for strength, playing it in the back of her head while watching the fiery showdown in the Oval Office.
"It all says … we pray and we will fight to the end," she said.
Doboshynska, who has been living in Canada for the past 13 years, said she stands behind Zelenskyy's decision to not sign a deal with the U.S. on Friday.
The planned meeting between the two countries was supposed to finalize an agreement granting the U.S. partial access to rare Ukrainian minerals in exchange for ongoing military support in the war against Russia, now in its fourth year.
At the Oval Office on Friday Zelenskyy continued to press for security guarantees that he said were needed to ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine, but in the end Zelenskyy left the White House without committing to a deal.
"If you go back to history, we've been signing the papers, hoping it will be all done," she said. "But without any guarantees, what's the point?"
"Our president did the right thing."
But to Michael O'Hanlon, director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., whether Zelenskyy was morally correct or not on his position, the tactical way he approached the conversation was a mistake.
"If you go into this kind of a meeting expecting the same dynamics that you would have with most conversations in diplomacy, you're making a mistake," he said.
WATCH | U.S President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine President Vodymir Zelenskyy:
With Trump in office, O'Hanlon said there are also some concessions Zelenskyy would have to accept that won't be granted by the U.S. — like NATO membership — to get back on track toward ending the war.
"What I would say to people is … let's see if maybe we can get to a better place by Monday rather than feel the need to overinterpret every single incident," he said.
While what transpired at the Oval Office is "deeply regrettable and somewhat worrisome," O'Hanlon said, "these things change fast."
"We've already seen spats between the U.S. and Ukraine under Trump's watch. My expectation is we'll find a way to put this behind us as well," he said. "But time will tell."
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With files from Catherine Moreau, Margaux Watt, Katie Nicholson and The Canadian Press