The Western world has reacted with horror and disgust at the animus displayed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their remarkable, disastrous meeting last week. Zelenskyy probably should have said as little as possible during the public portion of the event — he tried to advance Ukraine’s interests by being right rather than flattering Trump — but Trump’s and Vance’s hostile berating of their Ukrainian counterpart was deeply wrong, both morally and as a matter of U.S. interests. Zelenskyy has heroically defended Ukraine from Russian predation, while Trump’s White House is selling out to Russia like a rapacious mafia clan.

Rarely does the public get to see leaders in full disagreement — masks off, discussing high-stakes details of diplomatic issues — in such a public setting. This means the Trump-Vance meeting performance was also revelatory. Since Jan. 20, people in the U.S. have already been experiencing Trump as an American Nero, gleefully burning down the U.S. government, civil service and the rule of law. Now, the world is witnessing Trump destroying U.S. leadership of the rules-based international order.

It is unclear if there is rhyme or reason to this. Does Trump want to form an alternate international order based on global U.S. primacy? Is he playing a complicated game to split off Russia from China? Is he aiming at a........

© The Korea Times