Ukraine Embassy in Türkiye shares Erdogan-Zelenskyy photo after Trump spat
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with an official ceremony at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Türkiye on February 18, 2025. (AA Photo)
After U.S. President Donald Trump expelled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the White House following a heated exchange, global reactions poured in, condemning the incident.
Meanwhile, in a subtle diplomatic move, the Ukrainian Embassy in Türkiye responded by sharing a photo of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warmly welcoming Zelenskyy during a recent visit in Ankara, highlighting the contrast in diplomatic treatment.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and U.S. PresidentTrump openly clashed during a meeting at the White House on Friday, where they were scheduled to sign a deal on sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources and discuss a peace deal with Russia.
During the tense meeting at the White House, Trump reportedly raised his voice and made serious accusations toward Zelenskyy, with parts of the confrontation broadcast globally. “You’re not acting at all thankful. It’s not a nice thing,” President Trump said during the tense exchange. “It’s going to be very hard to do business like this,” he added, signaling the friction between the two leaders. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy fought his corner with Trump in a calmer voice, accusing them of “speaking loudly.”
Undiplomatic clash of words
The altercation ended with Trump dismissing Zelenskyy from the premises, sparking international outrage. Numerous world leaders, particularly from Europe, expressed support for Zelenskyy in the aftermath.
The highly undiplomatic war of words lasted around 10 minutes as Zelenskyy defended his handling of the over three-year-long conflict with Russia. Following the public exchange, he left the White House, and a planned signing ceremony for a deal on critical minerals, along with a press conference, were canceled.
Iconic Erdogan-Zelenskyy photo offers a diplomatic lesson
In a move reflecting Türkiye’s diplomatic stance, Ukraine’s Embassy in Türkiye shared an iconic image on its X account of President Erdogan holding an umbrella for Zelenskyy during his visit to Ankara on February 18.
The image, which was widely praised for its positive symbolism, served as a reminder of Türkiye’s supportive relationship with Ukraine and was seen as a contrast to the U.S. president’s treatment of Zelenskyy.
‘Turkish way’ peace
The gesture drew widespread attention and admiration, both in Türkiye and internationally.
Meanwhile, some of the comments under the post garnered attention. One user remarked, “We don’t mess with a foreign guest. We show respect and hospitality, doesn’t matter a friend or foe. You should have taken the deal that Türkiye offered 3 years ago. Again, you should make peace somehow with Russia, not the American way, but maybe a just Turkish way.”
