MY TAKE: SPECTACULAR DIPLOMATIC DISASTER IN THE WHITE HOUSE!

What was anticipated as a celebration of sorts for the planned signing today of a 'deal' negotiated by US President Trump with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy ended abruptly in disarray after a very public spat between Zelenskyy and Trump together with Vice President JD Vance right in the Oval Office. As a result, no signing ceremony took place, the scheduled press conference was canceled and Zelenskyy was unceremoniously shown the door.

To put in perspective the so-called 'deal' was a 50/50 split in the economic benefit of a joint venture between the two countries in the development of rare earth minerals in Ukraine as the first step of a plan towards attaining peace and the ending of Ukraine's three-year war with Russia. The US interest in the deal is supposed to represent Ukraine's payback for the billions of dollars the American taxpayers contributed to Ukraine's war chest.

The next step would have been a negotiation for a cease-fire, to be followed eventually with a 'peace deal' with Russia. It was learned later that that was in fact the agreement reached between Trump and Zelenskyy. However, the Ukrainian leader still wanted to insist that a 'security' arrangement of his country become part of the first 'deal'. But Trump thought not, at least not at the outset because he sees it as a process. He knew the whole thing is not as simple as Zelenskyy thought.

The heated exchange that ensued between Vance and Zelenskyy was precipitated by the former's charge of Zelenskyy's disrespect of the Oval Office by "try(ing) to litigate" Ukraine's case of not getting the needed support from the United States for it's conflict with Russia that goes back to 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea. Trump commented that failure was not his but Obama's and Biden's. Putin, Trump said, did not do anything during his first term at the White House.

What apparently complicated the discussion was Zelenskyy's obvious lack of mastery of the English language evidenced by his sounding unintentionally aggressive. Trump was clearly irritated by Zelenskyy's constant interruption and body language while Vance castigated the Ukrainian President for 'campaigning' with the Democrats during last November's election. All told, the issue is indeed complicated. But not hopeless. Trump commented later in the day that Zelenskyy can come back when he is 'ready to talk peace'.

(Food for thought: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9 - NASB)