Summary

Trump just presided over one of the greatest diplomatic disasters in modern history, with flared tempers, raised voices, and shredded protocol.

Never before has a U.S. president bullied and berated an adversary, never mind an ally, in such a public way.

During a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump and JD Vance attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanding he accept a peace deal with Russia or lose U.S. support.

The conversation devolved into shouting, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of being ungrateful and “gambling with World War III.”

The meeting ended in chaos, with no agreement reached.

  • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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    37 minutes ago

    I’m glad we get to see this shameful display. I wouldn’t talk to a dog like that, much less the democratically elected leader of another sovereign nation that’s an ally. The US used to be a beacon of freedom and diplomacy, but clearly we shouldn’t expect that from the current regime.

    Europe will keep supporting Ukraine regardless, but it really is in the US’ interests to stay involved in this conflict. It’s disconcerting that Trump can’t seem to grasp that basic fact.

    • robbinhood@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      It’s also just so weak.

      Not that macho’ism should be a major point or even desirable trait for a world leader IMO, but so many people like Trump because he’s allegedly strong. Yet when I watch the above clip I just keep thinking “he’s so weak and soft and overly sensitive to essentially everything.” Like how can you want a tough leader, then watch that exchange and think “Trump is tough.” What?

      • Carighan Maconar@lemmy.world
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        23 minutes ago

        That’s my main takeaway. If you want to appear stronk leedr, this isn’t it. This just makes you seem desperate because your russian money givers are getting impatient.

  • Wrench@lemmy.world
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    16 minutes ago

    Congrats Never Genocide people posing as Progressives. We fucking warned you that exactly this was going to happen. Trump and his cult would side with Russia and throw Ukraine under the bus.

    Great fucking job.

    And great fucking job, Mods, for protecting those fucks in the name of civility.

    We are the baddies now. And we got here because you’d rather protect Nazis from being punched in the mouth for their words and actions in the name of civility.

  • TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip
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    2 hours ago

    If the Europe had any sense of self respect the US embassies would be closing everywhere right now just like the russian ones.

    • robbinhood@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      Trump sucks, I hope Ukraine wins,and I hope Putin is judged by history for his aggression and the general incompetence of his government.

      But very few Russian embassies were ever closed, and rightly so. Some were downsized and suspected spies were given the boot. If Europe wants to do that with Americans, yeah smart.

      Outright closing embassies would be a massive misstep, completely (edit: unwarranted, I mean) warranted, and miss the entire point of diplomacy.

  • lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com
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    1 hour ago

    What a shit show…

    This is the weakness of modern democracies… You, as Putin, can just wait for 4 years and there will maybe be an idiot in power, who.ruins everything done before.

    • Carighan Maconar@lemmy.world
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      21 minutes ago

      It’s the whole paradox of tolerance, on a slightly different level.

      A democratic society cannot allow non-democractic elements such as Trump to use the democratic process. By it’s very nature. People will then say “but it’s democracy, I should be able to choose whatever I want”, yes, except choosing against democracy. Which is by definition not a choice that can be available.

  • aldfin@lemm.ee
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    3 hours ago

    Good job America! Proud of y’all for once again standing up for your values of oppression and greed.

  • JOMusic@lemmy.ml
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    4 hours ago

    “Democracy dies on live TV” - wow that headline hits hard.

    • Loce@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      First time i read it I thought it says “Democracy dies on live TV”… not far from it i guess…

    • Kurroth@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      “US chances at…”

      Need to be added to the start. As if other countries aren’t somehow capable is such an USamericanism.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Democracy is just one word and a set of ideas connected to it.

      Other than democracy there are meekness, dignity, wisdom and rationality, by the way, none of these contradicts any other, and a few even more important - faith and bravery and choice.

      So, I see nothing wrong with democracy dying in any kind of public setting when the 7 things I’ve listed stop being even tolerated.

  • Wispy2891@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    I just saw an ad for G20, a fiction where some terrorists kidnap all the leaders of the G20 at the meeting. But don’t worry, the US president frees herself, and she’s going full Liam Neeson to free everyone and get revenge.

    LOL completely unbelievable

    What would instead happen with the US president that is in charge now: if you free me I will help you with all your requests and I will personally execute the hostages

    • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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      2 hours ago

      I’ve heard shows like Madam Secretary and The West Wing be considered, akin to Star Trek, “competence porn.”

      The idea, the fantasy, that the people making the critical decisions that affect so many people are consulting experts, weighing heavy costs, consulting the law, and are kept up at night because they care so deeply for making the best call they can so they don’t let down all those who depend on them. These characters have been role models for leadership for generations at this point.

      And here we are, in a complete fever dream of a failed state: With a convicted felon and failed reality show TV personality, his foreign billionaire handler, and a weak spineless, loud little dweeb we all forgot was even vice… burning the last vestiges of peace and goodwill all around themselves, handing us and our allies over in a competition with other fascists to be the world’s worst enemies, screaming at world leaders, destroying the environment out of spite, and heck, shilling beans from the oval office. Because why not.

      Who’s close enough to this to do something about it? Where are the competent ones who will regain control of the bridge from these terrorists? Yeah, where’s our “G20 president”?

      Well, I just remembered, we need to support people like Governor Janet Mills of Maine , and empower anyone any everyone who will stand up against this bullying.

      • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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        30 minutes ago

        I really like The West Wing. I’m currently going through it again.

        It was always a hopeful show, but these days even the ‘bad guys’ in it start to look pretty appealing compared to what’s actually in the White House. At least the ones on the West Wing had fairly mundane motives and could be worked with to some extent.

        If they made a current show inspired the actual White House, it would look more like Idiocracy than competency porn…

      • CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world
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        1 hour ago

        Fucking Idiocracy is competence porn at this point, Camacho was an idiot but damn was he actually really competent if you think about the events of the movie.

        • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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          27 minutes ago

          Absolutely. Something about that movie’s premise was that the ignorance and takeover of corporate influence was the villain, but the leaders were just ignorant and rowdy, not actively acting out of hatred and malice towards… Everyone.

          You’re right, been awhile since I’ve seen it but Camacho was being a tank-driving grenade-launching nut just to look cool. He didn’t aspire to invade neighbors or anything that we’re shown.

          Once they could be taught, they could be reasoned with, even with their inflated egos, and they moved shockingly quickly to correct things because they wanted to be good, well-liked leaders, they just didn’t know how. (Oh, and limited film runtime lol)

          You know, it’s known for it’s cynical humor but at its heart, I’d almost say it has a “noble dark” (as opposed to “grimdark”) tone: The world sucks, but the characters are shown to have a desire to do good at their core, once they see past the bullshit! :)

          • CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world
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            18 minutes ago

            I’d go a bit further and say Camacho was actually pretty proactive, he did after all institute that nation wide intelligence test to find someone to tell him how to fix everything, and was humble enough to listen to that person once he found him.

  • charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works
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    5 hours ago

    I think “tried to bully Zelensky” would have been a little more accurate. Of course Trump and Vance failed at that too. All they’re good at is manipulating the most stupid people on the planet. If I was morally depraved, I bet I could do it pretty easily too.

    • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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      1 hour ago

      Imagine calling a world leader, who’s kinda busy leading his nation through a brutal war against his nation, halfway across the planet, just to yell at him on camera like they’re on some Fox News shouting-heads hitpiece, for not selling out his country and giving in to the butchers.

      Seriously, even for the world’s stupidest people, where is the “Okay, wow, you just don’t do that, sir.” Line?

      When does “Defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC.” come into play? Seriously, someone please tell me, what do these chodes gotta do to get treated as the terrorists they are?

      When do the sworn-in armed forces say “Alright, that’s it.” and draw down on this gang of heinous criminals and execute them for treason to prevent the world from slipping any further into chaos?

      Do we gotta hope for (a successful) Op: Valkyrie 2025??

  • roofTophopper@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I don’t know what it can be, but every ounce of me hates both of these men. I don’t even want to call them men. I can’t think of a possible way that they could suffer and feel the emotion of helplessness and sorrow. Whatever would happen, I don’t think they’d care. They literally wouldn’t care - because they have the mindset that they are invincible and can have whatever they want.