What has been the basis for the brawl in the White House is unclear. But according to Katarina Engberg, senior adviser at the Swedish Institute for European Political Studies, Sieps, it is clear that Zelenskyj did not act with the humility and submissiveness that the United States expected.
“It became obvious in this bullying session on television that Ukraine and Zelenskyj did not act with the humility and submissiveness that Trump and Vance expected,” says Katarina Engberg.
Zelenskyj did not act in the way the United States wanted, says Engberg, which contrasts with Trump’s desire to achieve a rapid peace.
Can take two directions ahead
What will happen next is hard to predict, but Engberg thinks we will have to wait a few days to see what direction this takes.
– We’ll see if diplomats on each side try to get this on the track again, but I’m not sure. It may also be that the Trump administration continues in the direction of the key and simply says that ‘now it may end with military support for Ukraine’.
Engberg says it is difficult to see how the United States should be able to conclude a bilateral agreement with Russia on peace in Ukraine without involving Ukraine.
– It is unclear how the United States should continue forward, whether to include Ukraine in something that is sustainable or if you just have to go ahead and continue with its normalization of relations with Russia, and allow the war to continue while Ukraine and Europe can handle it on their own.
“Is there a resonance bottom”
Mike Winnerstig, security policy analyst at the Total Defense Research Institute (FOI), is also on the track that Trump’s plan to appear as a peace broker can go into the cast.
– It will be difficult for him to do anything with Russia without it looking like a complete capitulation to Putin – unless Ukraine is on the boat.
He also says that the fierce atmosphere in the White House last Friday can affect future conversations between Zelenskyj and representatives of the Trump administration.