This previous Friday (Feb. 28), Donald Trump, JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gathered on the White Home for a diplomatic and productive assembly concerning the Russia-Ukraine Conflict. Sadly, it quickly turned contentious (extra on that under), and within the aftermath, musicians corresponding to Jack White and Behemoth’s Nergal have proven assist for Zelensky and Ukraine.
White, Nergal and Others’ Responses
On Friday, White took to Instagram to share his ideas on what occurred. “Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a really brave man who deserves the assist of the world,” he started, including:
He has taken on the battle of his folks and his nation with valor and honor. A very long time from now when historical past has gotten far previous all of those different false leaders and evil opportunists, he will probably be remembered as a hero and a defender of his folks’s freedom within the face of immense opposition. Might God bless his path ahead and his eventual victory in opposition to tyranny.
Among the many supportive responses was one from rocker Cat Energy, who merely replied: “THIS.”
The identical day, the Behemoth guitarist/vocalist additionally posted to Instagram, proclaiming: “The Trump-Zelenski convention simply ended, and I’m in shock.”
He continued:
Trump and J.D. Vance behaved like two classless, uncivilized brutes —speaking over Zelenski, slicing him off, and treating him like a typical supplicant. Conceited, condescending, and utterly devoid of fundamental diplomacy.
Such reckless, ego-driven incompetence from a person who fancies himself a world chief is uncommon. This wasn’t a negotiation—it was a pathetic show of aggression and ignorance.
Ukraine, you might be NOT alone.
Slava Ukraini.
Yesterday (March 1), Nergal doubled down on his sentiments, sharing an doctored photograph of Vladimir Putin strolling Trump like a canine as he defined:
A easy meme usually says greater than a complete essay. Yesterday, I made a submit – no sugarcoating, no appeasement. Simply me, standing by my phrases with an unapologetic angle—whether or not you prefer it or not.
To those that confirmed assist and understanding—thanks. To those that might strongly disagree with me but nonetheless recognize the music—thanks much more. We don’t must see eye to eye on all the things, and that’s advantageous.
That stated, I observed a major drop in followers yesterday—round a thousand folks vanished. GREAT! Maintain strolling. If my phrases shake your ethical compass or make you uncomfortable, I insist—unfollow sooner.
The world is filled with idiots, and clearly, my follower listing was no exception.
No sympathy for fools.
Legendary rockers U2 supplied a much less detailed and direct response to the assembly on social media yesterday, as they wrote: “Freedom is a sense. A sense that I’ve round you. Freedom is a sense that I by no means knew. Slava Ukraini.”
Alongside the submit, the band shared an altered model of frontman Bono’s 2023 drawing of Zelensky (which graced the duvet of The Atlantic’s June 2023 situation).
Naturally, these posts obtained loads of assist from followers, followers and the like (in addition to a good quantity of pushback and opposing views). Unsurprisingly, numerous extra folks (together with numerous celebrities) have shared a wide range of views on the state of affairs as effectively.
READ MORE: Jack White: Followers Demanding Lengthy Units Do not Know ‘Actual Rock’ Reveals
Extra Particulars on the Assembly
Per CNN (on Feb. 28), a “outstanding shouting match” erupted after the assembly between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky started, with Trump “berat[ing] his Ukrainian counterpart.” CNN elaborated: “By no means earlier than has an American president verbally attacked his customer like Trump did Zelensky, resulting in an nearly real-time breakdown in relations between Washington and [Ukraine capital city] Kyiv. Trump at one level threatened to surrender on Ukraine completely.”
The continued:
Castigating Zelensky for not demonstrating sufficient gratitude for American assist, Trump and Vice President JD Vance raised their voices, accusing the besieged chief of standing in the way in which of a peace settlement with Russia. Later, he was basically kicked out of the White Home and departed with a grim look on his face.
At one level, CNN confirmed, Trump informed Zelensky: “You’re proper now, not likely in an excellent place. You’ve allowed your self to be in a really dangerous place. You don’t have the cardboard proper now. With us, you begin having playing cards.”
In response, Zelensky stated: “I’m not taking part in playing cards.”
As reported by The New York Occasions on Friday, Trump and Vance “castigated Mr. Zelensky for not being grateful sufficient for U.S. assist in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, and sought to strong-arm him into making a peace deal on no matter phrases the People dictated.”
The NYT additionally reported that Trump “threatened to desert Ukraine altogether if Mr. Zelensky didn’t go alongside.”
On Friday, Trump tweeted the next:
We had a really significant assembly within the White Home at this time. A lot was discovered that might by no means be understood with out dialog underneath such hearth and strain. It’s superb what comes out via emotion, and I’ve decided that President Zelenskyy isn’t prepared for Peace if America is concerned, as a result of he feels our involvement provides him a giant benefit in negotiations. I don’t need benefit, I need PEACE. He disrespected the USA of America in its cherished Oval Workplace. He can come again when he’s prepared for Peace.
In the meantime, Zelensky has been retweeting supportive posts from quite a few folks (and saying thanks within the course of). On March 1, he tweeted: “Our relationship with the American President is extra than simply two leaders; it’s a historic and strong bond between our peoples. That’s why I all the time start with phrases of gratitude from our nation to the American nation.”
You may see a clip of the assembly under (by way of CNN):
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