The confrontation between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday was not planned, people with knowledge of what took place beforehand said.
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Is that supposed to make it better? That it wasn’t planned? The takeaway, dear NYT, is that we have Russian agents in the White House. Trump/Vance work for Putin, not America. Don’t normalize this!
Just the fact that Russian state media was present and the AP & Reuters were not, makes it seem as if it was a planned ambush to appease their dear leader, Putin. In normal circumstances, this meeting would not have been broadcast.
It's calling damage control by MAGA
It was planned and it is clear
What vance did there?
He is nobody,vice president
Trump mentioned zelensky outfit,his reporter mentioned zelensky outfit
It was planned to accuse zelensky for disrespect so US can ally with ruSSia
Lift sanctions
MAGA lies again
Pffft. Come on NYT -- you're better than that. That's like asking "Did they MEAN to invade Ukraine -- or did they just accidentally cross the border and decide to stay awhile?" It was clearly an ambush, plotted by cowards.
It was Reality TV at its best. Which they say is also unscripted. Or like Wrestling. Also unscripted? Now who do I know that has been involved in both.. hmm.. let me think..
It’s obvious that Trump is ok with selling out on Ukraine. He ran on that platform and he doesn’t care for Ukraine or the investments the Americans made there. It’s sad because Russia will not stop with Ukraine and will push to have more influence in former Soviet states.
I doubt that Trump plans his senile episodes. There is a non-zero chance that he thought Zelenskyy was a person he was evicting because he said that it was weird that there were no black people in the building.
It was payback for Zelenskyy promoting Biden earlier, and a scripted, staged humiliation of Zelenskyy in front of Russian TASS personnel (which was confirmedly present at the event) to strengthen the Russian narrative of Ukraine being weak, alone and desperate.
Honestly, if a president and his (pun intended) number two spontaneously behave like THAT in PUBLIC with an INTERNATIONAL LEADER, and it wasn't scripted and planned - then they need to be replaced and barred from ever holding government jobs ever again immediately. Worse than spoilt children!
Trump and Vance spent the whole meeting with condescending attitude waiting to pounce Zelensky so that they can get into the good book of their master in the Kremlin.
Tell me if this can be considered as planned?
All those people are not privy to the undocumented secret back channel conversations between #trump & #putin 🤬
How can intelligent people be so naive that they can't see behind the curtain.
That was a reality show. That's what Tяump can do. It was a trap! He is Putin's man in the White House. Such a disgusting person. Tяump is a sociopath. USA shame on you. We Europeans probably have to save you from fascism.
Maggie Haberman is the Finding Dory of journalists because she clearly has absolutely no memory of all the times Republicans have lied to her and so each time she reports the sheer, blatent bullshit they feed her as if of course it's true, when have Republicans ever lied about anything?
Wy not a deal with the EU for rare earths? It's better to contribute to the improvement of our military (and economy) instead of paying the orange bully tax.
watch the whole thing end to end, I just did. It's pretty clear that it was planned, and that he was a good sport about it. If you watch it you see that it's all pretty cordial until the last 10 minutes, and that the regime immediately had a statement written up already.
You have Russian puppets in power, controlled from Moscow. They will plunge the USA into civil war. Citizens of the USA, wake up and save your country.
Ukraine and Zelenskyy do not need Trump to bully them to capitulating…. If the Ukrainians want to capitulate they don’t need Trump to help them do that
Zelensky's demeanor changed after TASS reporter asked Trump which former President he compares himself too. You can see Zelensky's wheels start to turn during that question.
Anyone paying attention knows this was Trump getting revenge because Zelensky refused to lie about Hunter Biden. It's why Trump was empeached the first time.
Rubbish. The great orange narcissist decreed the 'war' would be over in 24hrs. Now it won't, he'll lose his status as a deity if he doesn't pass the buck.
This man is all about looking good with people dying in the background. Some of those people will soon be his own MAGA faithfull.
It certainly was planned, was it not? MTGs boyfriend was standing there pretending to be a reporter while fanning the flames, JD Vance and Trump sounded rehearsed. This is pure pageantry and Russian propaganda. This was an embarrassment to us all.
"...was not planned" by those people you interviewed to sanewash this sh*tshow. It was planned by the two people who did the bullying: the Putin puppet and his puppet.
Doesn’t matter whether it was planned. Trump and Vance are responsible for what happened. Vance escalated, then Trump had a tantrum. Stop making excuses for their shameful betrayal of America’s role as defender of the free world.
Was the (trump favorite) press there to record an agreement that had t happened yet? Wouldn’t you want them there after the deal was signed ? This was trump getting back at zelensky for his impeachment.
Why is the @nytimes.com putting so much energy into blaming this incident on Zelenskyy? This is one of the shameful and disturbing acts by the U.S. government on the international stage in modern history, and it falls squarely on the shoulders of Trump, who is the lapdog of a murderous dictator.
Trump and Vance were an embarrassment who thought they could bulky President Zelensky! They lost! Zelensky is a Hero protecting his country! Europe is standing up for Ukraine!
Also, good job @nytimes.com for writing this whole article and not mentioning that Trump was impeached over telling Ukraine to manufacture lies about Biden if they wanted defense support. Ffs. That should have been in the 1st paragraph.
Can anyone explain what the Hell is going on? The president is having a bromance with America’s cold-war enemy, while throwing a longstanding ally under the bus. Someone please tell me there’s a good explanation.
If it wasn’t planned then it illustrates the incompetence and erratic nature of the Trump admin. If Trump has all the cards as he claims he should have be able to control his emotions. What happens when it’s a major national security crisis and he loses it?
To be fair, this IS a major national security crisis. Because you can be sure that every dictator across the globe is watching what trump is doing right now, and how they can use it to their advantage.
Wonder what Zelensky thinks of the Russians. This was General Patton’s opinion. Wonder what General Patton would have thought of that noted Combat Journalist Shady Vance.
No one. TASS is almost guaranteed to be KGB which is why they aren’t allowed in. Especially when the VP and cabinet members are present! That was a horrendous lapse in security
Again…serious lapse… the reporter was quickly removed once people realized it. I have no first hand knowledge of how that works, but directly from a former WH pool reporter, TASS is not permitted in the Oval Office- they are basically presumed to be KGB
the speed of trump and vance getting sweaty and hostile along with the presence of russian media live streaming suggests yes it was planned and a certain someone was definitely watching
Their 'plan' was to have him grovel for their table scraps in front of MAGA and Russia. They are incapable of recognizing a man who genuinely loves and fights for his country and people with every fiber of his being, because they have no personal experience with the concept of courage.
Bullshit. Empty gee’s boy planned that “suit” comment. Just watch Couch Fucker’s face when it is said. Besides, why would we trust anybody who’s “close to the source.” The source is that fucking orange shitler.
Trump said in his campaign he wanted to be a dictator on day 1. Zelensky has the integrity to stand up to dictators, like a true leader of the free world 🙏🏼
Why don’t you report on this contract Trump is saying he will reneg on. The USA is obligated to protect Ukraine from Russian Aggression (and Russia is obligated to stay out of Ukraine of course).
Already read it. Problem: it contradicts The Guardian:
"There is a thing in Washington that many people understand but few will say: that the Trump administration was looking for a pretext to ruin its relationship with Ukraine, and that the canned messaging felt oddly coordinated and premeditated."
The Times's take: "[T]hree people with knowledge of what took place beforehand said neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Vance had been looking to blow up a deal for Ukraine’s mineral rights."
Sorry, but The Guardian makes more sense.
And some of us still remember the last time the NYT got conned this way.
The 2000s had a ton of highs & lows for the paper, but the latter was reached when Scooter Libby conned The Times's Judy Miller into believing Iraq had WMDs – which literally led to war with them.
Read the whole Guardian piece. The set-up aspect (setting up Zelensky) comes through clearly.
Trump is a Coward if he hadn't had a roomful of his schoolyard bullies standing there he wouldn't have acted like he did. Chicken shit bullies always have to have a backup. He is disgusting. A Coward
My theory is that JD's frustration at being subegated to Elon caused him to come out "MAGA man-style" and Trump could not help but pile on. Unforced ego-error for the wannabe DicToddler
Sure let Russian State media in with a direct video feed to Putin, but it wasnt planned. Then good old JD realized Trump had forgotten his lines so he had to push him along.
Comments
https://bsky.app/profile/strictlychristo.bsky.social/post/3ljdz6ejqac2s
I don’t buy it.
Streamed live courtesy of TASS.
https://bsky.app/profile/agoratlas.com/post/3ljdkb4bk7227
It was planned and it is clear
What vance did there?
He is nobody,vice president
Trump mentioned zelensky outfit,his reporter mentioned zelensky outfit
It was planned to accuse zelensky for disrespect so US can ally with ruSSia
Lift sanctions
MAGA lies again
Topic. That, and Musk is a total Kent (damn you spellcheck).
It was payback for Zelenskyy promoting Biden earlier, and a scripted, staged humiliation of Zelenskyy in front of Russian TASS personnel (which was confirmedly present at the event) to strengthen the Russian narrative of Ukraine being weak, alone and desperate.
Tell me if this can be considered as planned?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/21/2305235/-New-York-Times-caught-passing-off-GOP-flack-as-average-Black-voter
This is bad reporting.
How can intelligent people be so naive that they can't see behind the curtain.
Yikes
https://www.threads.net/@me30b3/post/DGqyGE5NNxZ?xmt=AQGzYWNA_QgS81_A_SB35hl3Jdcd0pT65shP9DRWeQ5grw
John Barron? David Dennison? John Miller?
James Donald Bowman? James David Hamel?
This man is all about looking good with people dying in the background. Some of those people will soon be his own MAGA faithfull.
I thought this was a parody.
Americans deserve better than this idiot in the White House
I hate to say this as a disabled vet, but today, we live in a sh*thole nation full of moronic fake Christians.
I hate to say this as a disabled vet, but today, we live in a sh*thole nation full of moronic fake Christians.
https://bsky.app/profile/gtconway.bsky.social/post/3ljbtoky3jk2u
https://bsky.app/profile/strictlychristo.bsky.social/post/3ljdz6ejqac2s
https://bit.ly/4hv63YG
Iran
North Korea
China
USA
Russia
#Traitor
tRUMP PLANNED IT…
So obvious
"There is a thing in Washington that many people understand but few will say: that the Trump administration was looking for a pretext to ruin its relationship with Ukraine, and that the canned messaging felt oddly coordinated and premeditated."
Sorry, but The Guardian makes more sense.
And some of us still remember the last time the NYT got conned this way.
Read the whole Guardian piece. The set-up aspect (setting up Zelensky) comes through clearly.
Except Zelenskyy is not a suck-up or ass-kisser