{"id":2574643,"date":"2026-02-28T07:01:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T12:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-vance-turn-over-new-leaf-with-zelensky-after-clash\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T07:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T12:04:00","slug":"trump-and-vance-turn-over-new-leaf-with-zelensky-after-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-vance-turn-over-new-leaf-with-zelensky-after-clash\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump and Vance turn over &#8216;new leaf&#8217; with Zelensky after clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-and-vance-turn-over-new-leaf-with-zelensky-after-clash%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574643&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece describes a perceived shift in Trump-era diplomacy toward Ukraine and Russia, framed around a year since a tense Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Zelensky. It notes that Trump and JD Vance appear to have \u201cturned over a new leaf\u201d with Zelensky, highlighting unconventional moves and moments\u2014such as dimming the Oval Office lights to screen a video about South Africa, sit-downs with Zelensky in the Vatican, and a post-meeting Truth Social message urging both Zelensky and Vladimir Putin to end the war. The article portrays Trump as pursuing a more impartial, deal-focused approach intended to pressure both sides toward a ceasefire and a peace deal, while critics warn this could undermine accountability and U.S. security interests.Supporters argue Trump remains a dealmaker who negotiates with both Russia and Ukraine, while detractors from think tanks caution that his strategy may neglect balanced leverage and concessions necessary to reach lasting peace. the piece also mentions ongoing diplomacy, including a planned trilateral meeting among the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, and notes European nations have committed considerable support for Ukraine even as U.S. funding remains complex and not fully disbursed.it frames Zelensky\u2019s willingness to negotiate as a key factor, contrasts Putin\u2019s expansionist aims with Trump\u2019s stated goals, and highlights the debate over whether this approach will yield a durable peace.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump and Vance turn over &lsquo;new leaf&rsquo; with Zelensky one year since Oval Office clash<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2518456\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The world took notice of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> and Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\">JD Vance&rsquo;s<\/a> Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/volodymyr-zelensky\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"891\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a>, which unfolded a year ago Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The shouting match sent a clear message to the world: &ldquo;There is a new sheriff in town.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4475278\/kennedy-center-honors-to-go-forward-through-renovation-closure\/\">Kennedy Center Honors to &#8216;go forward&#8217; even through renovation closure<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4475180\/trump-whataburger-air-force-one-jokes-being-poisoned-after-texas-speech\/\">Trump picks up Whataburger for Air Force One and jokes about being poisoned after Texas speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4475129\/trump-two-steps-texas-gop-senate-primary-corpus-christi\/\">Trump two-steps around Texas GOP Senate primary in Corpus Christi swing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Vance had issued a warning, using those exact words, two weeks earlier during his address to the Munich Security Conference.<\/p>\n<p>But the world learnt during Zelensky&rsquo;s first White House meeting with Trump&rsquo;s second administration last Feb. 28 that the warning was not only mere words.<\/p>\n<p>One year on, the world has witnessed other examples of Trump&rsquo;s untraditional approach to foreign policy and diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p>In one memorable moment last May, Trump dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-africa\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"546\">South African<\/a> President Cyril Ramaphosa about allegations of white genocide in his country.<\/p>\n<p>Ramaphosa, a critic of the United States, is part of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brics\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11642\">BRICS<\/a> intergovernmental organization, which seeks to undermine the U.S.&rsquo;s dominance in the world&rsquo;s economy.<\/p>\n<p>I<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">n January, Trump rankled&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/europe\/\">European<\/a>&nbsp;allies&nbsp;<\/span>with his desire to &ldquo;own&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/greenland\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4468\">Greenland<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-got-it-newsmax-reporter-emerald-robinson-national-security-source-confirms-a-piece-of-hardware-has-been-secured-in-germany\/\" title=\"We Got It! - Newsmax Reporter Emerald Robinson: National Security Source Confirms &quot;A Piece of Hard...e Has Been Secured&quot; in Germany\">national security<\/a> and economic reasons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Greenland, as a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/denmark\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2585\">Danish<\/a> territory, is technically protected by the North <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nato\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"603\">Atlantic Treaty Organization<\/a>, and any action by Trump against it is likely to undercut the alliance.<\/p>\n<p>But when it comes to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a>, Trump has kept his public criticism of Zelensky to a minimum, reserving it for behind-the-scenes, despite his Ukrainian counterpart appearing to campaign for Democrats in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s change in strategy was captured in a photo of him and Zelensky last April, sitting knee-to-knee on chairs set up inside St. Peter&rsquo;s Basilica at the Vatican for their first meeting since their Oval Office confrontation, before the late Pope Francis&rsquo; funeral. Zelensky, days later, agreed to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-putin-call-dashes-zelenskys-hopes-of-receiving-tomahawks\/\" title=\"...-Putin call dashes ......s hopes of receiving Tomahawks\">critical minerals deal<\/a> with the U.S. without security guarantees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine&rsquo;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">At the same time, after a second meeting at the White House last October to discuss the possibility of Trump sending Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles, Trump surprised Zelensky with a post-sit-down Truth Social post demanding that Zelensky and&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\">Russian<\/a>&nbsp;President&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vladimir-putin\/\">Vladimir Putin<\/a>&nbsp;&ldquo;stop the war where they are.&rdquo;<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Trump has reiterated that both Zelensky and Putin support a ceasefire and a longer-term peace deal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky is going to have to get moving, otherwise he&rsquo;s going to miss a great opportunity,&rdquo; he told reporters earlier this month. &ldquo;He has to move.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vance, who<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">, as a senator, was seen as <\/span>a strong critic of U.S. funding for the war in Ukraine, told the&nbsp;<em>New York Post<\/em>&nbsp;last October that&nbsp;the relationship with Zelensky had &ldquo;turned over a new leaf.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, Trump&rsquo;s strategy change has not mitigated criticism of his foreign policy and diplomacy regarding Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior director Mark Montgomery, for one, criticized the confrontation as &ldquo;unnecessary, although it served as fair warning to Zelensky that Trump was not going to try and hold Russia accountable as the aggressor in the same manner [former President] <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"471\">Joe Biden<\/a> had.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump and his aides have repeatedly contended that Russia perceiving the U.S. as an impartial interlocutor is crucial to securing a peace deal, a so-called &ldquo;day one&rdquo; campaign promise for his second administration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But Montgomery, who is also the Cyberspace Solarium Commission&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-in-floyd-county-georgia-terminates-election-director-after-statewide-audit-discovers-uncounted-votes\/\" title=\"JUST IN: Floyd County, Georgia Terminates Election Director After Statewide Audit Discovers Uncounted Votes\">executive director<\/a> in addition to being a senior director at the conservative think tank, countered that &ldquo;since the meeting, Trump has utterly failed to provide a balanced negotiating process that attempts to hold Russia in any way accountable and extract the concessions necessary to get to peace.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;On the other hand, Trump has extracted [maximum] concessions from Ukraine,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In general, Trump&rsquo;s predilection to traumatize allies and partners while he coddles authoritarians and thugs is counterproductive and threatens America&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >long-term national security interests<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vandenberg Coalition executive director Carrie Filipetti, a former Trump deputy assistant secretary of state for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cuba\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"212\">Cuba<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/venezuela\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"910\">Venezuela<\/a> and deputy special representative for Venezuela, defended the president, arguing he has &ldquo;always viewed himself as a dealmaker, and knows that to maintain that reputation he needs to hold people accountable if they refuse to negotiate in good faith.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is why he ultimately struck <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a> during Operation Midnight Hammer, why he apprehended Nicholas Maduro in Venezuela, and likely why his tone has shifted on the Russia-Ukraine war,&rdquo; Filipetti told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Trump and Vance may have seen Zelensky as an &ldquo;impediment&rdquo; to a &ldquo;strong&rdquo; minerals deal, arguments over which contributed to the confrontation, but now they &ldquo;rightly&rdquo; see Putin as an impediment to a peace agreement, according to Filipetti.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Zelensky is willing to make sacrifices &mdash; as long as they will contribute to a just and lasting peace &ndash; but Putin&rsquo;s increasingly expansionist goals are not aligned with his recent military failures, nor with President Trump&rsquo;s priorities,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>From the White House&rsquo;s perspective, Americans appreciate Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;candor&rdquo; as the president has &ldquo;openly expressed his frustration with both sides of the Russia-Ukraine War because he wants to stop the senseless killing.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Over the past few months, the president&rsquo;s team has made tremendous progress towards ending this conflict, and he remains hopeful that these discussions will lead to a peace deal,&rdquo; White House national security spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A trilateral meeting between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia is expected next week, with the potential for a leaders&rsquo; summit in its aftermath.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This week marked the fourth anniversary of Putin&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, which this year coincided with Trump&rsquo;s first <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-of-the-union\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"658\">State of the Union <\/a>of his second administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re working very hard to end the ninth war, the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine, where 25,000 soldiers are dying each and every month,&rdquo; Trump said in the House of Representatives chamber on Tuesday night. &ldquo;Think of that. 25,000 soldiers are dying a month in a war which would have never happened if I were president, would have never happened.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 1.8 million people have been killed or injured during the war, two-thirds of whom are estimated to be Russian.<\/p>\n<p>But even though Trump has not negotiated a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, he has gotten greater cooperation from Europe to help Ukraine with the war and sanctioned Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. has appropriated $188 billion for the war, in addition to providing Ukraine with a $20 billion loan, but has only disbursed 58% of it, whether for military, budgetary, or humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n<p>No new appropriations for Ukraine have been passed by Congress since the start of Trump&rsquo;s second administration.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4473841\/vance-leading-trump-war-fraud-double-edged-sword\/\"><strong>VANCE LEADING TRUMP&rsquo;S &lsquo;WAR ON FRAUD&rsquo; COULD BE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instead, Trump has permitted NATO allies and partners to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List program.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, Europe has now committed more money to Ukraine than the U.S., in spite of concerns that it may not be enough for Ukraine to win the war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump, Vance reset with Zelensky after Oval clash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2574644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Zelensky-Trump.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3817,3634,51309,15469,8630],"class_list":["post-2574643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-diplomacy","tag-trump","tag-us-ukraine","tag-vance","tag-zelensky"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Zelensky-Trump.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574643"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574647,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574643\/revisions\/2574647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}