This Week in Explainers: How Oval Office spat between Trump and Zelenskyy unfolded

It was one of the lowest points in diplomacy and it unfolded on “live” television. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House on Friday (February 28), one expected there to be some tension. After all Donald Trump had taken a sudden turnaround, blaming Ukraine instead of Russia for the war and calling the Ukrainian leader a dictator. But no one expected it to turn into a shouting match.

The Oval Office saw the showdown between Zelenskyy and President Trump and his Vice President JD Vance. The two American leaders appeared to gang up and corner the Ukrainian president and it ended with him being asked to leave the White House.

With Trump now clearly veering towards Team Putin, Kyiv and Europe are on edge. Earlier, in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron and then the UK’s Keir Starmer met Trump. But now after the infamous Oval Office clash uncertainty looms large, even though Western allies rally around Zelenskyy.

Like the world, Trump has also ushered in chaos in the US. “First Buddy” Elon Musk took centre stage yet again. His “what did you get done this week” email to federal employees sparked confusion; the Doge leader was also the star of the US president’s first Cabinet meeting.

Potus doesn’t want illegal immigrants but he wants wealthy ones. He announced a visa programme called “gold card”, which is offering citizenship for about $5 million ((Rs 43.5 crore). We talk about it in detail.

In France, the largest child sex abuse trial is underway. At the centre of it is Dr Joel Le Scouarnec, a surgeon who is accused of sexually assaulting 299 children over the past 25 years.

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Now, let’s move on to news from Asia. In Japan, it’s the same old story of a falling birthrate but with bigger concerns. In Bangladesh, student activists, who led protests that caused the downfall of Sheikh Hasina, launched their political party.

We dive into these big headlines from the week and more in our roundup of world news.

1. It was a diplomatic disaster. Zelenskyy had headed to Washington DC to sign a minerals deal and get some security assurances from the US. But it turned into an ugly spat, something the world has not witnessed in modern history. What triggered the argument between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart? What role did JD Vance play? And will this lead to the end of Zelenskyy’s leadership? We answer the questions.

2. Trump’s changing stance on Ukraine saw France’s Macron and UK PM Keir Starmer rush to Washington DC this week. The British leader’s visit came after America voted in favour of Russia at the United Nations. So what did Marcon and Trump talk about? Was Starmer’s White House visit a success? We analyse.

3. Want to live the American Dream? The more pertinent question is can you afford it? President Trump has announced a visa programme called “gold card”. As the name suggests, it is only for the wealthy. Aimed at foreign investors seeking permanent residency in the US, this visa comes with a hefty price tag of $5 million. This scheme would replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa programme. We tell you all about the new card and what it means for Indians.

4. Germany has a new chancellor. In the elections held last Sunday (February 23), Germany’s conservatives swept to victory, paving the way for its leader Friedrich Merz to take up the top job. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) won 28.5 per cent of the vote. But who is Merz and what does this change of leadership mean for the country and Europe?

5. Japan has a big problem – the falling birthrate. The number of babies born has dropped to the lowest since the country began keeping records 125 years ago. The government’s efforts to stop this decline have failed, as the birthrate plunged for the ninth year.

The country’s population is shrinking and rapidly ageing. This impacts everything from the economy to security. There is growing fear that Japan will struggle to function. Here’s why.

6. France is witnessing the largest child abuse trial in its history. Retired surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec is accused of sexually assaulting 299 patients, most of them child patients, over three decades. He told a court that he admitted to having “committed despicable acts”. But how did the cases go uncovered for years?

7. Pakistan has a new airport, the most expensive so far. Financed by China, the $240 million New Gwadar International Airport located in the coastal city of Gwadar was completed in October 2024. Authorities called it transformational. But there is one mysterious thing about it. It is eerily silent there – there are no planes and no passengers. Here's why.

8. Talking about planes, horror unfolded on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha. About 10 hours into the journey, a woman died on the plane. What happened next was more nightmarish for passengers, Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin. They were forced to sit next to the body for four hours. Of course, they were traumatised. What do rules say when there is a death mid-air? This story has the answers.

That’s our recommendation list for the week. The days ahead are crucial for geopolitics and you can come back here for the latest.