For the administration of US President Donald Trump and his closest aides, the scandal in the White House was no surprise, writes Axios.
„Zelensky has already made two critical mistakes since the beginning of the negotiations. He made the first on February 15, when he publicly ridiculed the minerals deal, which was discussed in strict secrecy. The second mistake was his choice of clothing: Zelensky did not wear a suit to the negotiations, as required. This was perceived by the White House staff as disrespect.
The public spats with US Vice President J. D. Vance was his third and final mistake," the article says.
"The difference in how the two countries' leaders perceive each other also introduces an element of hostility. Trump saw Zelensky as an ungrateful person who was leading his country to defeat, and Zelensky saw Trump as a ridiculous pro-Russian fool who would force him to betray Ukraine," the publication claims.
A day earlier, a meeting was held in Washington between Trump, US Vice President J. D. Vance and Zelensky, which escalated into a public dispute.
According to Fox News, the US president "threw" the Ukrainian president after the conflict, in which the American leader felt disrespected.