Herald Opinion: An attempt by Trump to turn global affairs into reality TV

On Friday evening after finishing work I was driving up the road to Donegal, listening to the radio, when I started hearing reports about what was happening in the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I was shocked by the news, but since I was driving, I couldn’t see the actual footage. I listened closely to all the coverage, and when Drivetime ended, I switched to the BBC World Service for further reaction. It seemed like everyone in the West was shocked—except for some elements in the United States and, of course, Russia.

I had actually been looking forward to Friday’s meeting, believing, perhaps naively. that a peace deal was finally within reach. I dared to hope that the war in Ukraine might be coming to an end. In my innocence, I imagined that the children seeking refuge here in Ireland might soon have the chance to return home.

One child recently told me that he still has all four of his grandparents in Ukraine, two in an area now under Russian control, the other two in Free Ukraine. He can speak to one set of grandparents, but not the other. One has electricity and broadband, the other, sadly, has none. He worries about all of them, the two in Russian-occupied Ukraine, of course, but also the fear that the others might soon face a similar fate, or worse.

And he is just one child. There are thousands more in the same heartbreaking situation, children with fathers, brothers, and uncles at war, dead, injured, or missing. As with all cruel conflicts, it is the children who suffer the most. Thank God so many have been able to escape.

Now, back to the White House—what a shocking display. It was like watching two schoolyard bullies, Donald Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, ganging up on Zelenskyy, ridiculing him, treating him with complete disdain, trying to make him feel small. And then, the pièce de resistance, they blamed him for everything, even accusing him of trying to start World War Three.

I have often questioned Trump’s mentality and competence, but last week was particularly revealing. He wrongly accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia and even called Zelenskyy a dictator. The week before, he flippantly suggested that Ukraine “may be Russian some day” while discussing what has now become the minerals agreement.

While I was shocked by what I saw, Russian officials reacted with glee to Friday’s fractious meeting. Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, smugly remarked that Zelenskyy had “finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.” I can only imagine a few past US presidents turning in their graves, realising that the current leadership was siding with Russia. What would Ronald Reagan have said? Imagine for a moment the United States, Russia, and North Korea standing together sharing a common goal, a common enemy and that enemy being Ukraine. Am I the only one who finds this utterly bizarre?

Here was the Ukrainian president, desperate to end this war, willing to offer up the mineral wealth of his country to the United States in exchange for the security of NATO. He was seeking assurances that a ceasefire could be enforced, that Russia would finally leave his people in peace. This is a president whose nation has held off the might of the Russian military for over three years, despite Russia now receiving military support from North Korea. Even so, the defenders have managed to push them back. But how much longer can they hold out? Over 1,100 days of war, the same soldiers still standing on the front lines, exhausted. Is it any wonder peace is so important?

And the Russians aren’t in a great place either. Yet, instead of constructive diplomacy, we watched the leadership of the United States humiliate Ukraine on the world stage, shouting, belittling, and mocking its president in front of the cameras. When have peace negotiations ever been broadcast live on television? Was this just another attempt by Trump to turn global affairs into reality TV? A premeditated stunt to show off his own strength? And more importantly—why was Trump even negotiating in the first place?

So, what happens next? Micheál Martin is packing his bags ahead of his trip to the White House for St. Patrick’s Day. Our leader will have to raise the issue of Ukraine. Then there’s the looming topic of tariffs and their impact on Ireland and the EU, another tricky conversation he must navigate.

At least our man will be wearing a suit, so they won’t be able to attack his dress sense. Our Taoiseach has experience; hopefully, he’ll handle Trump the right way, perhaps even charm him into a visit to Adare for the Ryder Cup in 2027. After all, Trump loves golf. Maybe we could get Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy to join Trump and Micheál for a four-ball in Doonbeg? They say the golf course is a great place for deals. And, of course, Trump is the self-proclaimed expert on the art of the deal—isn’t he?