Zelensky goes to town

If the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, were on my Christmas list, I think I might give him a copy of Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War. I’d mark that bit in book five we call “The Melian Dialogue.”  It tells the story of how Athens confronts the tiny island of Melos, a neutral ally of Sparta. Athens demands that the island surrender its neutrality. The leaders of Melos resist. Athens delivers an ultimatum: surrender or be destroyed.  

The Melians offer a number of arguments about why they should not be forced to capitulate. Athens is not being fair, the Melians have right on their side, et cetera. In perhaps the most famous bit of the episode, the Athenians explain that “the right, as the world goes, is only in question between equal power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” 

This was not, perhaps, a shining moment for the Athenians. But it does have the virtue of being a true description of the way the world actually works. Machiavelli, who knew a thing or two about that subject, would have understood. I am not sure that Volodymyr Zelensky does.  

In his extraordinary performance with Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and others in front of the press in the Oval Office today, he behaved like a spoiled child, talking over Trump and Vance, shouting and essentially telling them that Ukraine was the aggrieved party in the war with Russia and that he was not interested in a ceasefire. 

Trump, noting Zelensky’s expressions of “hatred” for Putin, explained that he was in no position to dictate terms. “You don’t have any cards” in this game, Trump pointed out. We want to end the killing. That cannot be done by abusing the other party in the conflict. You cannot successfully negotiate that way. “You want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say, ‘Hi, Vladimir. How are we doing on the deal?’ It doesn’t work that way. I’m not aligned with anybody. I’m aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world.”

All this is true. But for some, the pleasure of abusing Vladimir Putin is great enough to risk World War Three. The commentariat was shocked by the spectacle, as was the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, who could see that Zelensky was making a dog’s breakfast of the press conference. “I have never seen anything like it before,” was a common refrain. Zelensky was used to being a moral hero to his interlocutors. But here was a US president who was interested in peace, not preening. J.D.Vance not only pointed out that Zelensky had not only come to Pennsylvania to campaign for Kamala Harris in October, but also cut to the chase with a pointed question: “Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” 

Yikes. 

The social-media post Trump issued after the episode was tart and to-the-point. “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today,” Trump wrote:

Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.

Zelensky even lost Lindsey Graham, possibly the most pro-Ukraine senator of either party, with his exhibitionist bit of grandstanding. “Americans witnessing what they saw today would not want Zelensky to be their business partner, including me,” Graham said. “I’ve never been more proud of Trump for showing the American people and the world, you don’t trifle that this man.”

The afternoon ended with a little bit of material metaphorics: “White House staffers are now eating Zelensky’s lunch, per FOX. No, literally. They had a lunch planned, Zelensky got kicked out and left, and now the Americans are chowing down.”