The recent visit of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv aimed to secure a mineral rights agreement with President Zelensky, but Zelensky countered with a request for a meeting with Trump. Over three years of war, Zelensky has navigated tough situations effectively; however, his interaction with the Trump administration has revealed a conflict of styles that has led to hostility rather than support. His defenses against Trump's criticisms raised debates in Ukraine about the effectiveness of his approach, questioning whether he should have taken a more diplomatic stance rather than responding with attacks.
Through the crucible of three years of wartime leadership, Mr. Zelensky has mostly played weak hands wisely, like when he popped out of a bunker while his capital was bombed early in the war to film selfie videos rallying his nation and the world to resist.
His request for a presidential meeting flopped, becoming the latest example of a dramatic personal style that was once integral to his nation's struggle but now looks more like a monkey wrench in dealing with the Trump administration.
Though Mr. Trump's claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia was clearly false, Mr. Zelensky infuriated him by publicly correcting the record and claiming the American president was trapped in a web of disinformation peddled by the Kremlin.
It is hotly debated in Ukraine whether Mr. Zelensky erred in his messaging by responding to Mr. Trump's insults with a few snipes of his own, rather than diplomatically navigating the U.S. president's attacks.
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