Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Trump’s Oval Office ambush
I couldn’t believe how rude and disrespectful Donald Trump and his supporters were to Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office on Friday.
They started off mocking the Ukrainian president’s outfit.
There was nothing wrong with what he was wearing. He was representing his country during wartime.
Winston Churchill did the same in 1942, wearing his air raid suit to meet Franklin D Roosevelt. How rude to ask those questions. The US is not at war.
Trump totally humiliated Zelensky and even claimed that he is gambling with World War III. The truth is that Russia’s Vladimir Putin started gambling the minute he went into Ukraine and thought that he could just take what he wanted.
What Zelensky said about Russia is all true. It’s a pity that Trump can’t see it!
Trump is also a coward. He had all his supporters in the background, then at least two main men sat next to him – vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio. Against one person. That’s not fair. Then there were all the US reporters who are obviously going to support Trump. Zelensky might as well have been on the firing range. He was never going to win. These were bullying tactics, just like Putin’s. They should be ashamed. Susan, Chesterfield
Mocking Zelensky was a disgrace
Imagine what would have happened to the world had president Roosevelt told Churchill, ‘You don’t have the cards – make a deal.’ Roosevelt made the US the ‘arsenal of democracy’. Trump is making it the a***hole of democracy. Peter Williams, London
Trump has destroyed America’s global reputation
The despicable outburst from Trump and Vance showed that neither will go down in history as great statesmen.
Trump lacks the vocabulary to string two intelligent sentences together. He needs to put his brain in gear before engaging his mouth. If president Trump’s state visit to the UK does happen, I hope Londoners turn their backs as the motorcade passes them. J Hodgson, Greater Manchester
Trump’s been invited to the palace
After watching the meeting with Zelensky and a mad man I cannot believe our King is now going to face such a nasty, childish person in his home. Annie, Oxford
A performance for ‘likes’ not leadership
Only at the court of King Donald could we expect another leader to be ambushed and humiliated in front of all the assembled serfs and puppets, salivating at the blood letting.
Statesmanlike this was not. This was a bully and his lapdog playing for ‘likes’ on their favourite platform.
Hasn’t Mr Zelensky suffered enough in his Russian-ravaged country at the hands of Trump’s pal Putin?
There are ways to disagree in such an public arena but this was a disgusting one-sided attack, not letting Zelensky get a word in, and declaring at the close, ‘This is going to be great TV!’
Sadly, this all comes as no surprise, knowing Trump like we do. Steve, Harrow
Trump’s ego over diplomacy
The ignorance, egomania and rudeness of Trump, Vance and their henchmen beggars belief. They’re not really interested in stopping a war, only in exercising their egos, whatever the consequences. It was a juvenile hissy-fit of historic proportions. Neil Coppendale, West Sussex
Would Trump dare to treat Putin like that?
I found Trump and Vance’s manner to be disrespectful, bullying and demeaning.
For weeks, Trump has bigged himself up by saying he was going to secure a deal and get some of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. He clearly doesn’t like being contradicted or his comments challenged.
We saw this when Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron contradicted his statements at their White House meetings that the assistance given by various nations was a loan and therefore repayable.
I can’t imagine Trump or Vance having the confidence to treat Putin in the same manner!
As in many cases, incompetent leaders surround themselves with equally incompetent sycophants. Trump claimed when campaigning for presidential election that he would resolve the war in Ukraine within 24 hours! Are his really the qualities we would want from the leader of the free world? Shaun Thompson, Sheffield
Not a leader, just a street market hustler
Trump, you are a square peg in a round hole. You took your street-market negotiating skills to the top table and demeaned the ‘cherished Oval Office’.
It wasn’t Zelensky, he couldn’t get a word in between you and your sidekick Vance, who wants to lecture the UK on freedom of speech.
I hope it was only a tactic perhaps to lull the Russians into a false sense of negotiating strength but the vitriol seemed all too real. Ray, West London
Zelensky got serious. Trump needs to.
Zelensky was a comedian who had to get serious. Trump is a pathetic comedian who needs to get serious. AH, Leeds
Trump has abandoned America’s allies
The 47th president of the US is no longer the leader of the free world.
Trump has ditched his country’s closest allies in favour of closer ties with Russia, Belarus and North Korea – siding with them in the UN to vote against motions condemning Russia’s invasion.
His state visit to this country should be cancelled. Rolling out the red carpet for the man who has no respect for democracy is sheer folly.
The King and Queen should not be forced to spend even a minute in the company of an uncouth, ill-mannered, ill-educated, deluded, misogynistic, serial felon and malignant narcissist.
If the visit does go ahead, we can only hope that he will be confronted by angry protesters everywhere he goes. Bob Readman, Sevenoaks
Who holds the cards?
I would like to remind various contributors to MetroTalk who commented on Ukraine’s territorial security that Russia, the US and the UK all signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereign borders. This followed an agreement that Ukraine dismantle its nuclear weapons.
Years later, Russia, one of the parties to the agreement, invades Ukraine and the US under Trump lauds Putin and bullies Ukraine. It does make you wonder what Putin has on Trump from his visits to Russia. Henry Page, Greenwich
What ‘special relationship’ with the US?
One has to question the integrity of the American people, given that they have elected a complete moron as president.
Trump lives in a fantasy world of disinformation and fake news, most of which he’s created. His grasp of reality is non-existent, so Europe can’t rely upon US support to counter threats from Putin.
Trump’s treatment of Zelensky was shameful and his suggestion that Zelensky is responsible for the war with Russia and the possibility of starting World War III is farcical.
Using Trump’s mindset, the US president in 1836 should have let the Mexicans have Texas if it meant peace!
King Charles should withdraw his invitation to Trump for a state visit. In fact, the UK and Europe should demand that Trump removes all his troops, aircraft and military bases from their territories, since they are not going to be used to help defend us against Putin.
One UK prime minister after another refers to the ‘special relationship’ with the US. This has not existed since the time of Churchill and Roosevelt. It is clear that Trump has no interest in anything that is happening outside of the US.
The rest of the world needs to move on and leave Trump to his isolationist view. Martin J Phillips, Leeds
Should Europe turn its back on America?
The transatlantic alliance is dead in the water. It’s time for Europe to unite and turn its back on the alien, hate-filled, kleptocratic state that the US has sadly become. Stephen Spark, Balham
