About That Blowup in the Oval Office…
The Trump-Vance-Zelenskyy quarrel: “This is going to be great television. I will say that.” That is how President Trump ended the White House meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Ukraine’s leader was escorted out with the mineral deal unsigned and the future of America’s commitment in doubt.
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The testy meeting has become like a Rorschach test for observers: On one side people praise Trump for his honesty and excoriate Zelenskyy for his disrespect; on the other they blame Trump for his immaturity and voice renewed support for Ukraine. Judging by the way it unfolded—at the tail end of an otherwise cordial 50-minute meeting—neither side had planned to initiate the quarrel. The reality is that both sides spoke truths that are unpleasant to the other. And the fact that it unfolded in plain view of the cameras means it will have major geopolitical consequences.
The Trumpet is less interested in assigning blame or cheerleading than in understanding the prophetic implications.
European leaders support Ukraine: One outcome of the argument is how it accelerates the rending of the trans-Atlantic alliance and heightens the urgency within Europe to boost its independent military capability. After the Oval Office row, leaders from all over the Continent tweeted support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas remarked, “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
At a summit in London yesterday, European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasized the necessity of bolstering defense capabilities. The UK and France announced a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine, with the UK allocating more than $2 billion for Ukraine to procure air defense missiles. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the commission will propose a plan to “rearm” Europe this Thursday.
European defense stocks surge: Anticipating a boost in defense spending, investors poured money into European defense stocks today. Major defense companies such as Rheinmetall, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Thales and Saab saw major stock price increases. The Stoxx Europe aerospace and defense index is on track to record its largest single-day rise in five years, reflecting investor confidence in the sector’s growth potential. The militarization of Europe is one of the most important prophetic trends the Trumpet follows.
President Trump appears quite comfortable with this outcome. He wants Europe footing the bill for supporting Ukraine and bleeding the Russians, without America incurring the cost.
Meanwhile, Russia is celebrating the end of America’s seemingly unlimited support for Ukraine. This appears to strengthen Putin’s hand significantly, an extraordinary outcome of the Ukraine war the Trumpet has consistently mentioned for its prophetic implications.