US leaders turn blue

Hours after the scandal: Trump goes golfing first

Trump on the way to his golf club.

(Bild: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP)

After the unprecedented scandal in the White House, the US leadership took a break, unlike Volodymyr Selensky. A few hours after the diplomatic disaster, US President Donald Trump went to his golf club and his Vice President JD Vance went on a skiing vacation - where angry protesters were waiting for him.

The grandly staged exposure of the Ukrainian president in the White House was less than a day old when the US leadership around Trump and Vance decided to reward themselves for the embarrassing spectacle. 

First of all, Trump spontaneously called a press conference on Friday next to the White House landing pad - and went after Zelensky: "He doesn't have to stand up and say 'Putin this, Putin that', all the negative things. He has to say 'I want to make peace'."

He then left directly for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he spent the night. On Saturday morning US time, the president's motorcade was spotted on its way to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. True to the motto: golfing against the stress of wanting to blame an attacked country for "World War III".

Vance couldn't go skiing
His deputy Vance did the same. He took his family on a skiing vacation to Vermont, where he felt the effects of the new US foreign policy first hand (see tweet above). The Republican was "greeted" by local protesters. They held up signs calling for a reversal of the pro-Kremlin course. Vance subsequently withdrew, according to media reports.

The contrast to Selensky's hours after the scandal could hardly be greater. According to US media, the Ukrainian delegation is said to have waited in another room in the Oval Office after the dispute and hoped to be allowed to see the US President again.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's security advisor Mike Waltz are said to have made it clear to the Ukrainians that they had to leave now and that further talks with Trump would be counterproductive.

British prime minister hugs moved Selenskyj
Within a few hours, the Ukrainian president was contacted personally by numerous European leaders. "Thank you for your support," Selensky wrote on Friday and Saturday in response to around 30 publications in which Ukraine's allies expressed their solidarity. Trump and Vance accused him of not showing gratitude.

Starmer takes Selenskyj in his arms.

(Bild: Kin Cheung/AP)

A cheering crowd was waiting for him when Zelensky arrived.

(Bild: Kin Cheung/AP)

The Ukrainian president gave an interview to Trump's home and court broadcaster Fox News after his ejection. He then immediately flew back to European soil. His first stop: Great Britain. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Selensky on Saturday and welcomed him with a hug. In front of the famous black door of 10 Downing Street, the two shook hands demonstratively once again. Onlookers had previously cheered Selensky's convoy.

In a brief conversation in front of the cameras, Starmer reaffirmed the UK's willingness to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes" in its defense against the Russian war of aggression.

The UK was also determined to achieve "a lasting peace for Ukraine, based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine". This is not only important for Kiev, but also for Europe and the United Kingdom. Selensky, who was also received by King Charles, seemed visibly moved (see tweet above). London also granted Ukraine a billion-euro loan for its defense against Russia.

The meeting with the British Prime Minister was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, ahead of a Ukraine summit of European heads of state and government and EU and NATO leaders convened by Starmer. The allies want to discuss how to proceed in view of the developments triggered by Trump. However, the bilateral meeting was brought forward after the scandal in Washington.

Macron talks about nuclear deterrence
In the background, work is already underway to arm Europe. As is so often the case, the French president is setting the pace. Emmanuel Macron is ready to start talks on a nuclear deterrent for Europe. Macron told the Portuguese broadcaster "RTP" in an interview that if Europe is seeking "greater autonomy" in terms of defense and nuclear deterrence, it should start a discussion about it.