Ukrainians, including his political opponents, are rallying around President Volodymyr Zelensky after his Oval Office clash with President Trump, though there's considerable concern about the fallout. Leaders of a list of nations have expressed support for Zelensky, as well. "The scene at the White House yesterday took my breath away," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Saturday, per the New York Times. "I would never have believed that we would ever have to defend Ukraine from the United States." The predominant views in Ukraine, per the Washington Post, are:
- Supportive: The refusal of Zelensky, whose approval at home climbed after he said last month that Trump was living in a "disinformation bubble," to back down in the meeting shows his willingness to defend Ukraine and its interests in the face of another, stronger world power.
- Worried: Ukraine needs US help to fight off the Russian invasion. The meeting was a disaster for Ukraine that may mean Zelensky won't be able to negotiate with Trump after this.
Ukrainians said, per the AP:
- "Zelensky fought like a lion" in "defending Ukraine's interests."—Nataliia Serhiienko, 67, a retiree in Kyiv
- "My husband was a military pilot. He burned alive, his plane was shot down. … So yesterday they spat at him, at me, at my children, and it was very painful to watch."—Vitalyna Tarasova, 43 an English teacher in Kyiv
- Trump "doesn't understand that people are dying, that cities are being destroyed, people are suffering, mothers, children, soldiers. He cannot understand this, he is just a businessman. For him, money is sacred."—Artem Vasyliev, 37, a Kyiv resident who's a native of Russian-occupied Luhansk
- "Today is not the time for emotions, from either side. We need to find common ground."—Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko
- "The scandal we witnessed was essentially the only purpose of that meeting. It looked utterly absurd, considering that we, Ukrainians, have always regarded America as an example of democracy and, most importantly, of values. Trump chose his side in this war." —Pvt. Serhiy Hnezdilov, from the front lines, per the Times
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Zelensky is scheduled to attend a summit of European leaders on Sunday hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two met Saturday in London, with Starmer assuring Zelensky, "You have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you and Ukraine for as long as it takes." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
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