Donald Trump has dealt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a new blow before the pair’s eagerly anticipated peace summit gets underway, by including Vice President JD Vance in the proceedings.
Vance and Zelensky clashed bitterly during the Ukrainian’s last visit to the White House earlier this year, leading to reports claiming Kyiv’s delegation hoped Vance wouldn’t be present again in round two, per a source speaking to Newsweek.
But now it seems the embattled leader won’t be spared, with sources confirming to the Daily Beast he will be there.
Rumors were first reported in Politico’s Paybook, in what will no doubt come as a disappointing blow to Kyiv after last time out, where Vance spearheaded a barrage of acrimony in what was ultimately a disaster for Zelensky and Europe as a whole.
The clash made for tough watching, as the vastly outnumbered wartime leader was piled on by various people in the room, from the president himself—who had a visible look of anger and dejection on his face for much of the proceedings—to right-wing personality Brian Glenn, who asked him why he wasn’t wearing a suit.
All other meetings were canceled that day, and Zelensky returned to his war-torn nation, having been made to look, in some ways, like it was his fault.
The same source told Newsweek how they felt Vance had “provoked” Zelensky during the shambles that saw him call the Ukrainian “disrespectful,” and told him to say thank you.
“Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country,” he said.
Zelensky, meanwhile, is said to have learned from the February train wreck and will be buoyed by the presence of other European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky’s second meeting this year comes at a fraught time in Europe, with Trump seemingly keen on sorting out a peace deal with Vladimir Putin and Russia bilaterally. Last week, Trump broke with international convention and brought Putin in from the political cold by inviting him to the U.S. for a highly-publicized summit.
The world watched as the pair met in Alaska, but despite red carpets, limos, and chummy body language, little ground is understood to have been made towards a lasting peace.
Russia and Ukraine remain some distance from one another in their demands, with Russia clinging to imperatives of sovereignty over parts of Ukraine and an end to international interference.
