Both Zelenskyj and Trump are interested in smoothing the quarrel

What scares and fascinates with Friday's collapse in the White House is the interpersonal relationships. The whole world was able to witness how Trump and Vance humiliated Zelenskyj, as well as he could defend himself in his inadequate English.

There were two against one. It didn't feel fair. Trump and Vance all have the money and all the weapons, Zelenskyj has only one war -torn and bankruptcy.

Still, the two Americans demanded more or less that he would get down on his knees and say thank you for the scolding. The parable is worn out, but it was like seeing two schoolyrs push down their victim on the ground and forcing some invented confession.

Everyone can relate to this. And everyone can imagine the victim's anger, feel the impulse to just leave and never have anything to do with the bullies.

It's human. But the question now is whether Zelenskyj can stand above that impulse.

For how much it boils in him inboard – he mumbled two musty Russian swearing when Vance came up with one of his attacks – he still has an interest in smoothing what has happened.

It is treated the agreement on Ukraine's natural resourcesthe one that Zelenskyj traveled to Washington to sign, has been portrayed as the country selling its assets to a US that gives nothing in return.

After Friday it is on ice – but now suddenly appears as the highest profit. As the best Ukraine can get, something that still gives the country common interests with the United States.

Is it possible to save the agreement?

Probably that's what zeskkyj Hope. He said in An interview on Fox News that the relationship with the United States can be saved, and on Saturday morning came a post on x Where he thanks both Trump, the congress and the American people for all support.

“We are really grateful. We just want a strong relationship with the US and I really hope we will have it ”.

Is this enough to appease Trump and Vance? It's doubtful.

But the fact is that even Trump may have reason to smooth out the quarrel in the oval room. Although nothing so far indicates that he intends to do it, or even understands what it would be good for.

Now that the crack between the US and Ukraine seems so deep, it benefits Putin in the upcoming negotiations with the United States.

Trump may not care, but the break with Ukraine makes it even much harder for him to get a peace he can boast about, which is not seen as a total Russian victory. And he is, as you know, fixed to « win ».

If, on the other hand, he can revive The mineral agreement with Zelenskyj gives him a playing card against Putin, albeit not very strong.

The idea of ​​this agreement was that the United States would have an interest in Ukraine's continued independence for a long time to come. It was launched as a kind of security guarantee Light, as Russia would not be assumed to dare to attack a country full of US directors and miners.

In addition, it would give Trump another reason to hit his chest and say he has withdrawn money to the United States.

If he is the cold calculating businessman he wants to appear who may be able to go back to the mineral agreement. But he might as well leave it in the trash, while he instead settles with Putin about Russian natural resources.

No one knows what is moving in Trump's head. No one knows what sudden course changes can be triggered by flattery or perceived insults.

At the same time, many are thinking about If it was an ambush Zelenskyj walked into when he took his place in the Oval room. A skillfully liked trap With the aim of removing him from the diplomatic great power game so that Trump and Putin can undisturbed to split the world between them.

Or if it was just another example of Trump letting his vanity and his personal whims control the world's fate.

In the end, it may not matter that much. Friday's diplomatic accident did not come as a flash from clear sky. It was a logical consequence of Donald Trump's foreign policy actions during the five weeks that have passed since his return to the White House.

The consequences just appear so much clearer now.

The quarrel was a logical consequence of Donald Trump's foreign policy actions during the five weeks that have passed since his return to the White House

And it is that the alliance between the US and Europe is in waste. That NATO looks more and more like a paper trailer. That Putin is rewarded for his war crimes instead of being punished for them, while Ukraine's existence as an independent nation is threatened.

Donald Trump ignores who that is friend or enemy. His world order looks like the 19th century, where the richest and militarily strongest nations made up over the heads of everyone else, where they cheered assets from weaker nations just because they could.

In its 21st century version, it becomes a world dominated by the United States, China and Russia. European leaders such as Zelenskyj, Macron and Starmer, like everyone else, are just extras.

This is where we are going.

The fact that a billion agreement on metals is now seen as a possible resort is in itself proof of what abyss Trump has faced the world.

Read more:

This has happened: the brawl in the White House

Karin Eriksson: A historical accident that can have horrific consequences