Zelensky’s still got game: Europe backs leader after Trump spat

Soon after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House on Friday after an astonishing Oval Office blowout with President Donald Trump Ukrainians rallied around Zelensky as a defender of his countryrsquos interestsThe shouting match that unfolded in the final minutes of the highly anticipated meeting between the two leaders seemed to dash at least for now Ukrainian hopes that the United States could be locked in as a reliable partner in helping fend off and conclude Russiarsquos threeyear onslaughtBut many Ukrainians seemed unfazed by the blowout between Zelensky and Trump expressing a sense that the Ukrainian leader had stood up for their countryrsquos dignity and interests by firmly maintaining his stance in the face of chiding from some of the worldrsquos most powerful menThe meeting at the White House was meant to produce a bilateral agreement that would establish a joint investment fund for reconstructing Ukraine a deal that was seen as a potential step toward bringing an end to the war and tying the two countriesrsquo economies together for years to comeUkrainian social media was also awash in praise for Zelensky late Friday with officials on the national regional and local level chiming in to voice their support for their leaderThank you America ZelenskyPresident Zelensky thanked US President Trump and the country for its support after departing the White House Minutes after his departure Zelensky took to X and said ldquoThank you America thank you for your support thank you for this visit Thank you POTUS Congress and the American people Ukraine needs just and lasting peace and we are working exactly for thatrdquoMost European leaders stand by UkraineA senior Ukrainian official said Zelensky spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron NATO SecretaryGeneral Mark Rutte and President of the European Council Antonio Costa after he left the White House describing all the conversations as ldquosupportiverdquo of the Ukrainian leaderSome posts on X were directed to Zelensky EU Commission President as well as leaders from Germany Estonia Sweden Austria The Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Norway Poland and Spain among others also offered their support to UkraineMiracle that Trump didnrsquot hit him RussiaRussia has said it was a ldquomiraclerdquo that US President Donald Trump restrained himself from hitting Ukrainersquos President Volodymyr Zelensky during their verbal clash in the Oval Office as it mocked the Ukrainian leader after the unprecedented showdownMaria Zakharova PicXReacting to their spat Russiarsquos foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram on Friday that Zelenskyrsquos biggest lie of all his lies was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone without supportldquoHow Trump and Vance held back from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraintrdquo she said Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also reacted to the incident calling Zelensky an ldquoinsolent pigrdquo who had received ldquoa proper slap down in the Oval OfficerdquoldquoTrump told the cocaine clown the truth to his face the Kyiv regime is gambling with World War III Thatrsquos a good thing but not enough ldquowe must stop military aid to the Nazi machinerdquo Medvedev who is now deputy head of Russiarsquos Security Council saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever