New in PJ Media:
In their first tête-à-tête since the fireworks in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat down for a remarkable fifteen-minute meeting at the Vatican Saturday, where both heads of state were attending the funeral of Pope Francis. The Saturday meeting was striking for several reasons, not least because it was just Trump and Zelensky talking things out alone. No aides or translators were present, and while photographers some terrific photos of the two leaders in intense discussion, reporters were not buzzing around performing their usual act of asking questions designed to show the world what an awful person Donald Trump is.
The privateness of the Trump-Zelensky confab is what makes it most remarkable. We just had four years of a president who not only couldn’t make the most insignificant of moves without a cheat sheet telling exactly what to do and when and how to do it. Now even Old Joe Biden’s top aides are admitting that the senescent corruptocrat simply wasn’t there, and that his dementia had advanced to the point that Old Joe knew nothing whatsoever about the policies his autopen was signing into law. What he appeared to know about the war in Ukraine, and everything else, was just an illusion created by his reading words off a teleprompter with reasonable competency.
Even before the misrule of Old Joe’s autopen, we have gotten used to seeing presidents surrounded by clouds of aides, and clearly those aides often did the real spadework in international diplomacy and other areas. Trump, however, is in this, as in so many ways, a sharp departure from what has become the norm for the chief executive. He is entirely capable of handling the negotiations with Zelensky (and others) without any input from aides, and even without their presence.
And on Saturday, amid all the pomp and bustle of the papal funeral, he did. White House communications director Steven Cheung later issued a terse announcement: “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion.”
Zelensky posted on X Saturday morning: “Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
rick says
The big news is Zelensky finally wore a jacket with his “funeral proper” every day black shirt.
But he stayed “authenticate” by refusing to wear a tie.
Rarely says
So what? The really big news is that Trump, without the goon Vance, may actually have been polite. No, probably not.
Wellington says
Rarely: Vance is no goon and your calling him that is disgusting. Vance came from very little and raised himself up by his own enormous efforts (helped by his grandmother if you would bother to read his work “Hillbilly Elegy” and which I suspect you will not read).
When Vance called out Zelensky, who himself has a lot of baggage though certainly not nearly as much as Putin has, evil and massively incompetent as Putin is, he had every right to do so. Matters were set up for that day, February 28th in the Oval Office, to seal a deal that Zelensky reneged on. Secretary of the Treasury, Bessent, added details about this reneging by Zelensky if you would care to study the matter, which I suspect you will not and why you shamelessly called Vance a goon. Really, Rarely, you reveal yourself time and time again for the uninformed and superficial thinker that you are.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
💯
James Lincoln says
Rarely,
On what basis do you categorize VP Vance as a “goon”?
Please be specific.
Rarely says
The so-called “meeting” with Zelinsky is proof enough.
His reversal on pardoning violent January 6th convicts because it wasn’t in line with his boss is another.
That’s enough.
James Lincoln says
Rarely,
Thanks for your reply, I will investigate further.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The thing I noticed was 2 non Catholic leaders – one non-denominational Christian, one Jewish – finding an occasion of a funeral to have a private meeting
One report I read yesterday was Zelansky going back on his previous commitment to recognize Crimea as Russian, claiming that it’s in the Ukraine constitution that they have to have total victory. I don’t see this war winding down anytime soon
WPM says
Zelansky does not want peace. If peace came there would have to be election he would be out ,the endless gravy train of aid that Zelansky and the Ukrainian mafia are skimming would end .Zelenskt would have to leave his beloved Ukraine for his palace in Florida and tap into his off shore accounts filled and bought with American taxpayer money. Yes Rarely is right how dare an elected vice President expect a little humbleness from a sweat suit thug dictator who is only still breathing and above ground because of American dollars and military hardware given over the last 3 years with no oversite or stings attached! The little thug putting on a show for the press for over 20 min. ,till Vance call him on his act .How dare American President and Vice President not want every male in the Ukraine between the ages of 15-65 to die to defend land that was given up in 2012 by the Ukraine to Russia when Obama was in office? Putin is an evil man ,but the Ukraine has lost this war and will be running out of people to fight it. If Europe or America do not want to send their own people to try to get land that was lost in 2012 it is time to end this.
James Lincoln says
࿗Infidel࿘ says,
“I don’t see this war winding down anytime soon”
You could be right, but at least United States will not be funding it anymore.