Key Lessons from Zelensky-Trump Destructive Diplomacy

There is something unusual about the state meeting of two national leaders, namely the meeting of President of Ukraine Zelensky and President of the United States (US) Donald Trump. Some time ago, precisely on February 28, 2025, at the White House of the United States, the two leaders held a meeting and open talks in front of the US media crew. Unfortunately, the meeting, which was supposed to be a venue for constructive diplomacy towards resolving the three-year Russia-Ukraine war, ended up being unproductive or failed to produce anything encouraging. What happened instead was commotion, discord, and discomfort in the United States camp. This happened because the US as the host felt disrespected by the guest who was considered to be arrogant, patronizing, and teaching the US about international politics - so what happened happened.

The open dialog in front of US journalists was anticlimactic and set a bad precedent in the history of formal state diplomacy. Therefore, the incident must be used as a valuable lesson on how diplomacy should be conducted and won. Especially in the context of diplomacy carried out to win the interests of the lives of millions of people. The diplomacy model carried out by Zelensky is really not worthy of emulation so that for anyone who wants to do diplomacy, this bad precedent does not need to be repeated.

Everyone is a diplomat, especially someone who holds a position as a formal leader at the level of president, prime minister, minister, regional head, head of certain state authorities. So to win the interests of the nation and state in diplomacy forums with other countries, the simple thing that absolutely must be done is to make diplomacy partners feel comfortable. Especially in the context of being a guest who is in need of the host's help. So making the host happy, happy and comfortable is a necessity.

The form is not to make the host get angry, angry, for example by lecturing, feeling superior, and pressuring the person concerned. If this happens, it is certain that diplomacy will fail miserably or will not produce the expected results. Instead, the relevant diplomats will be expelled so that their goals and interests become zero achievements. The President of Ukraine should know himself, what he is facing is the US President who has a firm, straightforward, outspoken character, which cannot be dictated. Zelensky should have praised Trump a lot, throwing away feelings of hatred and resentment towards Russian President Vladimir Putin because in addition to Trump being respectful, comfortable interacting with Putin, on previous occasions the two had opened talks related to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Zelensky's behavior of attacking Putin in Trump's presence, lecturing Trump about Russian aggression, and being self-righteous really made Trump uncomfortable. The result was fatal, Trump chose to stop the talks and kicked Zelensky out of the White House with no results. From Trump's perspective, Zelensky was not ready to negotiate a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelensky's demand for security guarantees from the US if a cooperation agreement on the processing of rare earth minerals in Ukraine is concluded should not dictate to the US that the US wants to pressure Russia to return Ukrainian territory that has been controlled by Russia. There is also no need to pressure the US for US troops to be present on Ukrainian territory as a peace force if a Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire is agreed.

Source: BBC.com

Trump is well aware that what he is facing is a country like Russia that has a myriad of sophisticated nuclear ammunition. The slightest miscalculation, World War III will be at stake. It is no exaggeration if Trump then calls Zelensky, who demands a guarantee of Ukraine's security from the US, gambling with World War III. Trump is also right that Zelensky is not in the right position because for Trump, Zelensky is not holding a war settlement card with Ukraine, who is holding the card is Trump himself. Do not be naive in responding that he is not playing cards. Realize this is just a metaphor. The Russia-Ukraine geopolitical war is in fact like playing cards, the card holders are Putin and Trump. If you want this card game to end soon and the card holders to be in favor of Ukraine, be nice to him. An important conclusion from the Trump-Zelensky dispute is that if you realize that you are weak, oppressed, need a great power to be a helper, then be self-aware, know yourself, play beautiful diplomacy that creates comfort for diplomacy partners, don't make diplomacy unproductive by making unnecessary blunders. It's good for Zelensky to learn from the way Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron who a few days earlier successfully conducted diplomacy with Trump.