The Zelensky Debacle: Why Character Matters
Last night President Trump made his triumphant return to speak to a joint session of Congress. The speech was combative, visionary, moving, and the longest ever by a sitting president (one hour and forty minutes).
After the dust-up in the Oval Office four days before with the president of Ukraine, President Trump told the nation he “appreciated” a letter he’d received from President Zelensky indicating he was ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to achieve a lasting peace.
That’s a good first step. Zelensky’s behavior last week was “absolute idiocy” to quote a Ukrainian MP.
My thoughts on the debacle and why character matters.
The Zelensky Debacle: Why Character Matters
I have never seen such poor choices by a national leader on U.S. soil than what happened at the White House on February 28, 2025.
The American public agrees. 90% of a Frank Luntz focus group who watched the telecast said they backed President Trump’s and J.D. Vance’s expulsion of President Zelensky from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Only 9% expressed sympathy toward the Ukrainian leader.
That’s common sense. As CNN analyst Scott Jennings put it, all that Zelensky needed to do was: 1) Put on a suit, 2) Be grateful for U.S. help (scores of billions of dollars in aid), 3) Sign the U.S.-Ukraine Mineral Deal, and 4) Enjoy lunch at the White House while ceasefire negotiations accelerate.
With 1.5 million casualties (of all sorts) on both sides and eight million Ukrainians having fled the country, it was past time to settle for peace.
But nemaye.
Some relevant perspectives:
What blew up the meeting in the Oval Office wasn’t so much any personal sleight, though that was the juicy part for the media. It was that Zelensky undermined Trump by publicly denouncing any possibility of a ceasefire. Again, all the president wants is to get to the table. Disagreements about the details can be hashed out when the time comes, and Ukraine would maintain the ability to reject any deal it didn’t like.
That’s what makes Zelensky’s ploy so counterproductive. What does “real peace” even mean if he’s going to say a ceasefire is off the table? That’s nonsensical on its face, as no one can articulate a path to total victory for Ukraine given its manpower issues (which can not be solved with more money). At some point, there has to be a negotiated peace, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is not stepping down anytime soon.
Chase Spears shared the view of a 20-year combat veteran:
Russia was unjustified in starting this war. The U.S. has been unjustified in merely prolonging it. If lawmakers want to argue that American interests are at stake and that destiny demands that the U.S. fight in Ukraine, let them make the case to the public and follow the constitutional rules for committing America to the fight. Otherwise, the choices are to sit this one out, or use the other instruments of national power to help negotiate a lasting peace. But waging proxy war of attrition against fellow human beings who have not lifted a finger against Americans—without a clear victory strategy—does not place us on the moral high ground.
Bill O’Reilly weighed in:
It was simply foolish for Zelensky to publicly disagree with the man who controls his country’s destiny. Any dissent should have been privately discussed. By challenging Trump and J.D. Vance publicly, Zelensky loses. Perhaps everything. NATO will quickly lose his phone number if Trump bails. When things cool down, a deal may surface, but Trump will call the shots. Bad Vlad, of course, is a winner here, and that’s a very bad thing. But Putin has damaged Russia in a huge way and still needs a deal. So, one might happen.
And finally, Victor Davis Hanson:
Remember, there’s probably 1.5 million dead, wounded, missing, and captured on both sides, together. That is the largest casualty rate figure total in Europe since the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 and 1943.
How could I sum it up best? I think this is the key to it. The people that Zelenskyy does not feel comfortable with or doesn’t like — the MAGA movement, the conservative Republicans — they have the power over his fate.
The people that he dalliances with, and he feels comfortable, and he’s a rock star with — the Europeans and the American left — don’t have any power. The Europeans talk a great game, but they have not come through with the economic and financial and military assistance as was promised. And the American left that has made him a rock star — they’re not in power now.
He has to understand that that he has to get along with the president. That means you come in with a suit, you do not interrupt, and you cut a deal that’s mutually beneficial on the mineral concessions. That creates a de facto commercial tripwire, roughly along a DMZ [demilitarized zone], and now you have a basis for a lasting peace.
My final wish… is that the two sides can come together because we’re very, very close to peace and it’s in Donald Trump’s interest to get the credit that he deserves for it, and to stop the Stalingrad of the 21st century.
If you want an insightful view from our new secretary of state, please watch to Marco Rubio on CNN.
Seeing the fiasco unfold reminded me that character is destiny. The choices we make in life, for ourselves and even for nations, greatly affect our future.
So where did Volodymyr Zelensky (and all human beings at times) go wrong?
Humility – According to Bill O’Reilly, Zelensky was told by eleven U.S. senators just prior to White House meeting to approach the new administration humbly. He needed to understand the “room” and his place in it. Humility is the way up in character and stature. He chose pride and arrogance which is the way down. Humble yourself and you will be exalted (Matthew 23:12).
Respect – Zelensky should have shown honor to the office of the U.S. president. Younger to older. Smaller nation to larger country. Dependent client to generous patron. He could have started by putting on a suit. (Only tin-pot dictators come to important meetings in fatigues or in T-shirts.) But that was trivial compared to his disrespectful attitude.
Gratefulness – The United States has given more money to help defend Ukraine than any other nation–by far. Zelensky should have bent over backwards to express his gratefulness on behalf of the Ukrainian people. Instead, be came across as “entitled” to any demand that he made.
Everyone sins or makes mistakes. All of us are sometimes proud, disrespectful and ungrateful. Zelensky got the boot because of it.
Then he made his biggest error. While on the way out, or leaving in his limo, or at least before he left the nation’s capital, he should have grabbed a phone, apologized for his behavior, asked forgiveness, and returned to restore the relationship and prospects for peace.
Asking forgiveness is one of the greatest acts of courage that people can make. It can still yield benefits if President Zelensky will drop his pride and acknowledge his poor judgment.
Same for you and me (before God).
Zelensky’s letter is a beginning, but needs to go much deeper.
Two days after the debacle, a friend called me after a trip to Ukraine. He met a strong young leader there who could be Ukraine’s future president. The young leader’s takeaway from their visit?
“Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.”
Wise words from Jesus, the King of all kings.
