Historian Timothy Snyder: Trump and Vance act as if it’s Ukraine’s fault for standing up to Russia

Feb 28, 2025 - 20:00

Ukraine global history initiative timothy snyder

Eastern Europe specialist Timothy Snyder supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a dispute with US President Donald Trump, according to a post on the X platform.

Snyder wrote on X that “The problem is the ongoing Russian invasion. If they want to use American power to stop the war, apply it to the aggressor.”

He added that “abusing the victim is not going to end a war of aggression.”

The comments follow a meeting at the White House on 28 February, which ended not in the peaceful way.

During the meeting, Vice President Vance said that the war between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved through diplomacy. Zelenskyy responded by noting he had previously signed agreements with Putin in the presence of French and German leaders, however, Putin disrupted the deal more than 20 times and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Ukrainian President warned that if Ukraine signs a poor agreement with Russia, the United States “will feel it.” This comment reportedly angered Trump and Vance, who replied that they “would be fine” and added that Zelenskyy had no right to impose his views.

Following the dispute, Trump wrote that Zelenskyy is “not ready for peace” but added he “can return” when he changes his mind.

Reports indicate Zelenskyy left the White House early, and a planned minerals agreement between the two countries was not signed.

Several world leaders have expressed support for Zelenskyy’s position, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Timothy Snyder is an American historian and the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in Central and Eastern European history, the Holocaust, and authoritarianism.

He is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin and On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.

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