EXCLUSIVE: Vladimir Putin will be ‘laughing his backside off’ in the Kremlin following the tense row between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an expert has said
An expert has said he was “absolutely gobsmacked” by the heated row between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
World-renowned war expert Professor Anthony Glees, from the University of Buckingham, said the way Trump and JD Vance spoke to Zelenskyy” today reminded him of “being given a dressing down by bullying prefects” during his school days.
He said the heated exchange will see Vladimir Putin “laughing his backside off” in the Kremlin.
During what was supposed to be a fairly typical display of diplomacy in the Oval Office, Trump cut short talks over the deal and shouted at Ukraine’s leader during an extraordinary meeting. Trump slammed Zelenskyy for “gambling with millions of lives” and suggesting his actions could trigger World War 3.
It was an exchange that Professor Glees said would leave Downing Street questioning “whether Trump made a fool out of” prime minister Sir Keir Starmer yesterday and Putin and his Kremlinite cronies laughing.
“Right now, Putin will be laughing his backside off,” Professor Glees said. “In fact, laughing so loud the Kremlin will be shaking.”
Russian security council deputy and former president Dmitry Medvedev reacted by saying: “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is “gambling with WWIII.”
The row occurred during the last 10 minutes of the 45-minute meeting. Zelenskyy had urged caution on Russia’s diplomacy efforts, saying Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.
But Vice President Vance responded: “Mr President, with respect, I think it is disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have man power problems.
“You should be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to the conflict.”
It was this that appeared to trigger the row, with Zelenskyy asking if Vance had ever been to Ukraine and the vice president responding he had “seen the stories”. Vance also accused Zelenskyy of orchestrating a “propaganda tour” for Ukraine’s diplomatic visitors.
Zelenskyy then said: “You have nice ocean and you don’t feel now but you will feel it in the future.”
Trump then interjected. He said: “Don’t tell us what we are going to feel. We are trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we are going to feel. Because you are in no position to dictate that.”
Trump continued: “You are in no position to dictate what you are going to feel. We are going to feel very good. We are going to feel very good and very strong. You are, right now, not in a very good position. You’ve allowed your self to be in a very bad position and he happens to be right about that.
“You are not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”
Zelenskyy: “I am not playing cards.”
Trump then accused Zelenskyy of “gambling” with triggering World War Three and the “lives of millions of people”.
The exchange continued, with Vance saying Ukraine had not thanked the US and Trump insisting Ukraine will not win against Vladimir Putin’s Russia without US help.
Professor Glees said that Zelenskyy was essentially “thrown out of the Oval Office”.
The White House confirmed that the joint Trump-Zelenskyy press conference was cancelled, with the Ukrainian president leaving the US much earlier than planned. Zelenskyy did not sign a critical minerals deal with the US that Trump had suggested was a condition for future support for Ukraine.
“To Zelenskyy it must have felt like two mafia bosses were twisting his arm whilst trying to convince him they have an offer he cannot refuse,” Professor Glees said.
Calling Trump and Vance “repellent”, he added: “It tells us exactly what Trump and JD Vance think about Zelensky and about the Ukrainian people… The president and his vice president have the emotional intelligence of crocodiles.
“Yes, as I’ve said before, Trump does want peace. But so does Zelenskyy, but rightly not peace at any price. Ukrainians would prefer to fight on their feet than live on their knees. We Brits applaud their courage.”
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By staronline@reachplc.com (Benjamin Lynch)
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