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What the disastrous U.S.-Ukraine summit tells Korea

Published: 03 Mar. 2025, 12:14

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 28. Zelensky and Trump openly clashed where they were due to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine's mineral riches and discuss a peace deal with Russia. ″You're not acting at all thankful. It's not a nice thing,″ Trump said. ″It's going to be very hard to do business like this,″ he added. [AFP/Yonhap]

The public confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Feb. 28 was a shocking scene. When Zelensky demanded security guarantees for a peace settlement, Trump and Vice President JD Vance instead defended Russia, the aggressor. The episode offered a stark glimpse into the unfiltered reality of Trump's “America First” doctrine.

Trump and Vance pressed Zelensky relentlessly: “You should be grateful — without U.S. support, you would have lost in two weeks.” “You have no leverage. If you don’t agree to the deal, we’re out.” Vance even rebuked Zelensky publicly, calling him “rude.” As a result, all subsequent engagements — including a working luncheon, the signing ceremony for a mineral agreement and a joint news conference — were abruptly canceled. Zelensky was left with no choice but to exit the White House in humiliation. Trump even dangled the possibility of cutting off U.S. support for Ukraine altogether.

The collapse of the summit sent shock waves through America’s trans-Atlantic allies. NATO — established in 1949 and a pillar of Western security during the Cold War — now finds itself in an existential crisis after 76 years. Unlike his predecessor, who prioritized values-based diplomacy, Trump’s second administration is shifting blame for the war onto Ukraine. The U.S. now appears willing to blur the lines between allies and adversaries whenever it serves its national interest. The very foundation of NATO has been thrown into question. Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun voiced alarm, asking, “Is this what President Trump means by a ‘great America?'”

Trump’s unilateral, transactional diplomacy is not just upending Europe. Anxiety is growing across the Indo-Pacific region as well. America’s allies and partners in the region — Korea, Japan, Taiwan and others — are beginning to ask: Could today’s crisis in Ukraine become tomorrow’s crisis in our part of the world? While key figures in the Trump administration have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China, the unpredictable nature of Trump’s diplomacy leaves no room for complacency.

To Trump, diplomacy is a deal. Amid this chaotic realignment of the international order, Korea must expand its channels of communication with the Trump administration to grasp its true intentions. On that foundation, we must adopt a pragmatic approach in our security and trade policies, negotiating where necessary and conceding where strategic gains can be made. Last week, Acting President Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun belatedly met with U.S. officials, but more engagement is urgently needed to prepare for unforeseen developments. Strengthening cooperation with Europe and other Indo-Pacific nations, who are also bracing for the impact of Trump’s foreign policy storms, could amplify our voice in global affairs.

Regardless of the ongoing political turmoil at home — including the impeachment trial and the possibility of an early presidential election — Korea’s political leaders must set aside their differences and present a united front on foreign policy and national security.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.