While everyone takes it (rightly) with Donald Trump for having scrambled Volodymyr Zelensky in the oval study, there are also those who underline the Marchian errors of the Ukrainian leader. Who slipped into a dead end from which it will really be difficult to go out. To speak is not an iron Putinian, but the Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak who at the “Corriere della Sera” revealed illuminating details about the recent meeting between the Ukrainian president and the American leadership.
One of the most discussed aspects was the error attributed to Zelenskyj that he had clashed directly with Trump and Vance without a defined strategy, although aware of their divergent positions. Hrytsak openly criticizes the preparation of the meeting by Zelenskyj, stating that “the error has been accepting, despite himself, to collide frontally with Trump And Vance Knowing that their positions are radically different from his ”. “Furthermore, he did it in English – adds the historian – a language that our president has recently learned and still speaks badly. He should have spoken in Ukrainian. “
Sure: thanks to the dispute Zelensky found “A new role of European leader“And” Today is more popular than before in our country “, but Kiev needs American military assistance such as bread: maybe the war would not end” in two weeks “, as The Donald claims, but we are not missing. And now Ukraine is in difficulty: he cannot do without US aid, but his president has been humiliated. So what to do?
The omelette is now done. And maybe it will take time to mend relationships. The point is that when Zelenskyj was caused with offensive topics and accused of risking the third world war, according to Hrytsak he should “be smart, thank for the aid received without asking him, take time”. “Being intelligent means not getting caught by anger, remaining in controlling one’s emotions, not being impulsive – explains the historian – let’s not forget that the day before their meeting, although clumsy and surreally, Trump had denied having ever said that Zelensky is a dictator, he had shown himself in his respectful way. I don’t think he had any plan to tend a trap, It wasn’t an ambush“.
The Ukrainian president would perhaps have had to listen to the advice of the advance Trump, Keith Kellogg, to postpone the visit to Washington. According to Hrytsak, Zelenskyj wanted to “anticipate Putin” and the result was a vain attempt to steal the scene from Trump, despite the meeting had been requested by Ukraine herself and that the agreement on the exploits of the Ukrainian resources could be signed even without the presence of the president: “I believe that Zelenskyj was missed by the positive results of Macron and Starmer’s meetings with Trump: he was too confident same. He had told us that he would be pragmatic, he would have avoided personalisms, but he didn’t do it. The same sent from Trump to Kiev, Keith Kellogg, had advised him to wait to go to Washington. ” Not only that. “Between him and his entourage they prepared the encounter, they did not have a clear strategy, despite having all the elements in hand to plan it at the table and not to be caught unprepared”.
Finally, on the question of how Zelenskyj could face the current crisis, Hrytsak is pessimistic about the options available, believing that “apologize” will not work. “For our country it is a real disaster,” he concludes, “the situation is really difficult and we don’t have much time anymore, we need weapons and ammunition as soon as possible”.