The editorial board at the conservative National Review joined the chorus of political observers stunned over the explosive White House showdown President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance subjected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to on Friday.
Referring to the tense moment as an “ugly Oval Office spat,” the editorial board came out to publicly slam the blowup that unfolded in front of the international media after Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of not being “thankful enough” to the new MAGA administration.
“They belittled his country’s position in the war, called him an ingrate, and made open threats about abandoning his country,” the conservative board, comprised of the Review’s senior editorial staff, told readers. “This was shocking behavior, especially when it is unimaginable that they’d ever dare treat Vladimir Putin in a similar fashion.”
The opinion piece went on to criticize the Trump administration’s sudden shift on Ukraine, and called Zelensky’s desire for guarantees involving Russian aggression down the road “not only an understandable concern, but one that it is in our interest to address.”
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However, despite “Trump’s ego and Vance’s hostility,” the board still believes it was Zelensky’s “diplomatic failure” to “get sucked into making argumentative points” to begin with – the downside of which was “enormous.”
“One hopes that this doesn’t represent a fundamental breach in U.S.-Ukrainian relations,” the board concluded, adding that with “President Trump, blowups can happen quickly, but so can reconciliations.”
“Regardless, the episode is a disturbing reflection of the resentment the president feels toward a partner whose fundamental offense is wanting to defend itself and regain its sovereign territory,” according to the editors.
They finished with a well-known saying – “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” – a longtime adage the board said, “shouldn’t mean kicking your friend to the curb.”