A National Embarrassment

... with huge international implications.

What we saw at the White House on Friday was nothing short of a national embarrassment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived to discuss peace negotiations and a mineral plan, and soon found himself the object of scornful mockery and lectures by the president and vice president of the United States. They insulted his country’s plight and sacrifices, his leadership, and his supposed lack of gratitude (which is pure fantasy). They called him a propagandist and accused him of trying to start World War 3. They even giggled like children over his attire. Afterwards, Trump unceremoniously booted Zelensky out of the White House, ending any further discussion.

“This is gonna be great television, I will say that,” Trump remarked toward the end. And judging by the online reaction from Trump loyalists, the WWE-style bullying was indeed a big hit.

But this isn’t a game. It’s not entertainment. At least it’s not supposed to be.

We’re talking about war — a real war, on the European continent, with international consequences. It’s being waged by a genocidal invader and war-criminal whose troops have committed mass murder, rape, and the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children.

The man responsible for that war (and who can end it at any time) is Vladmir Putin — an adversary of the United States. And he couldn’t have been more pleased with Trump and Vance’s disgraceful conduct.

It didn’t take long for Russian officials to weigh in on the matter — in celebration:

Putin and his regime weren’t the only ones watching from afar, of course. So were our international allies, including the NATO alliance, who were sent a loud and clear message from the administration that the United States can no longer be trusted to stand on the right side of such conflicts. Zelensky, in their eyes, could just as easily have been them.

Anyone who thinks that bodes well for U.S. security should think again.

It seems clear that the plan all along was to humiliate Zelensky. Some have pointed out that the contentiousness began with a question from Zelensky to Vance about diplomacy, but the question itself was not at all provocative.

After Vance suggested that diplomacy with Russia hadn’t previously been tried, Zelensky reviewed broken promises, agreements, and ceasefires by Putin over the last decade, making the point that successful diplomacy requires trust. He was right, of course, but Vance apparently viewed those remarks as a prime opportunity to unload with anti-Ukraine talking points, and complaints about Trump somehow being disrespected. Soon, Trump was demeaning Zelensky as well, berating his position and carrying on about the “Russia hoax” and “Hunter Biden’s bathroom.”

Could Zelensky have navigated the situation without incident, perhaps by sitting there quietly, not pushing back on anything, absorbing the insults, and opening his mouth only to rhetorically kiss Donald Trump’s ass? Maybe, but I’m not convinced. I think the administration was determined to publicly disparage Zelensky regardless — a natural extension of what Trump has been saying in recent weeks.

What I do think is clear, from the imagery surrounding the meeting, is that Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t in on it.

He knows better. So do other members of the administration. But because he filled his cabinet with yes-men and yes-women (including Rubio), I doubt Trump will hear any push-back from any of them.

The same goes for congressional Republicans, who are ironically casting Zelensky as the aggressor in the Oval Office exchange, focusing on this clothes, his body-language, and his refusal to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness for speaking out of turn.

“A lot of people know deep down that the Trump Admin is behaving shamefully with regard to Ukraine,” tweeted The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf, “but don't want to admit, even to themselves, that America is being dishonorable, so they fixate on matters of no consequence, like Zelensky's manners, to distract their consciences.”

So, what’s next?

As the Trump administration proceeds with its long telegraphed abandonment of Ukraine, and leaders throughout the rest of the Western world re-voice their support for their war-torn ally, all that’s evident is that Russia is in a much better global position now than at any point over the last three years.