 "Quicksplained: Why has Ukrainian Ambassador to US caught eye amid Trump-Zelenskyy brawl?")
The fiery dispute between United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has left the world shocked. The unprecedented public display of acrimony has frayed the relationship between the two countries, putting war-torn Ukraine’s future at risk.
The world watched as Trump and US Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday (February 28) at a high-stakes meeting. As cordialities turned to a shouting match, the diplomatic ties between the two nations plunged in real time.
While the brawl has become a talking point, the reaction of the Ukrainian Ambassador to the clash has gone viral on social media.
Let’s take a closer look.
1. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the US to sign a minerals deal with Donald Trump on Friday, hoping it would bring the American President to support Ukraine’s war efforts and promise long-term security agreements. However, the sudden blowup has now raised questions about the future of the US’ assistance to the war-torn country to stave off Russian invasion.
2. The squabble began during a discussion on Trump’s approach to negotiating a ceasefire with Russia. When US VP JD Vance defended this stance, Zelenskyy warned against believing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promises. Vance told the Ukraine’s leader to show more gratitude toward Trump, before the president himself jumped into the scuffle.
3. “The problem is I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States and your people are very brave. But, you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump threatened Zelenskyy as the world watched the extraordinary exchange in horror.
4. One reaction to catch everyone’s eyes was that of Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova. As Trump and Zelenskyy argued over a ceasefire to end Russia’s war with Ukraine, Markarova appeared distraught at the turn of events. The images and videos from the scene show her putting her head in her hands. In the clips posted online, she can be seen lowering her head to her right hand and closing her eyes.
5. Her reaction was caught on cameras when Trump told Zelenskyy: “You’re saying you don’t want a ceasefire. I want a ceasefire because you get a ceasefire faster than an agreement.” To this, the Ukrainian president retorted, “I said to you … with guarantees. Ask our people about [a] ceasefire, [about] what they think.” Trump ended the conversation with “that wasn’t with me.”
6. As clips from the tense back-and-forth went viral, social media users could not help but notice the Ukrainian Ambassador’s reaction. CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, who shared Markarova’s picture and was present in the Oval Office during the exchange, told the American broadcaster’s Dana Bash, “The Ukrainian ambassador had her head buried in her hands as this shouting match was going on between the three of them.”
7. “Talk about her worst nightmare. She was literally watching it unfold before her eyes in the Oval Office,” Bash chimed in. Collins’ post on X has garnered 2.2 million (22 lakh) views so far.
8. White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino shared the video of the Ukrainian Ambassador, taking a jibe at Zelenskyy. “Ukrainian Ambassador understands that Zelensky is a complete and total disaster…,” Scavino wrote in the post. Markarova has been Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US since February 2021. Nearly a year after her appointment, Russia invaded Ukraine, thrusting her to the spotlight.
Ukrainian Ambassador understands that Zelensky is a complete and total disaster… pic.twitter.com/2a6u7gNqfI
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) February 28, 2025
9. For now, the ugly spat has derailed ties between the US and Ukraine. It has also raised fears of Trump reaching a peace deal with Russia without involving Ukraine. Only time will tell what’s in store for the war.
With inputs from agencies
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