SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
It has been a day since President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. As the images continue to play on a loop around the world, there is anger and dread in Ukraine. Zelenskyy is now in London, where he's preparing to meet with European Union leaders, and while Ukrainians are praising Zelenskyy for standing up for himself and their country, they are also wondering whether the Trump administration will now retaliate. NPR's Joanna Kakissis is in Kyiv. Hey, Joanna.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: So let's start with the reaction to what happened at the White House Friday. What are you hearing from Ukrainians?
KAKISSIS: So, Scott, I've been speaking with a lot of people in Kyiv and so have our producers, Polina Lytvynova and Hanna Palamarenko. And what people have been telling us is that they are very angry at how Zelenskyy was treated by Trump. They're calling it an ambush, a dirty trick to humiliate Zelenskyy into supporting a quick deal that benefits only Moscow.
DETROW: The U.S. has been Ukraine's closest ally all along. Do Ukrainians feel betrayed?
KAKISSIS: Well, not exactly because as you mentioned, the U.S. is so important to Ukrainians, and Ukrainians say to me, whenever I meet them, they're very grateful for American support. And Zelenskyy himself says that repeatedly in public speeches - thank you for the support. And they've always admired - Ukrainians have always admired the U.S. for its democratic values.
But what I'm hearing from them is that they feel hostility specifically from the Trump administration and from President Trump's hardcore supporters. Ukrainians don't know how to convince this administration that Ukraine is the victim here, not Russia.
We met Alina Dvoska, a 29-year-old recruiter at a demonstration in central Kyiv about missing soldiers. Her father has been missing for six months. She says she believes the Trump administration is trying to gaslight Ukraine and Zelenskyy.
ALINA DVOSKA: (Through interpreter) I absolutely support our president for defending the interests of our country. I understand that he was trying to act from a position of strength because that's how you deal with these people.
KAKISSIS: We also spoke to Yevhen. He's a 43-year-old soldier who works in an air defense unit. He asked us not to use his last name for security reasons, and he said he believes the meeting went badly because Trump is seeking personal profit, not peace.
YEVHEN: Trump would have no problem influencing Vladimir Putin if he wanted to. But to do so, he needs to think of the interests of America, Europe and Ukraine, not his own interests.
DETROW: Now, Trump had been pushing for this minerals deal with Ukraine. That's why Zelenskyy was at the White House. That deal was never signed, of course. There are also reports that the White House wants to cut off military aid for Ukraine. Are Ukrainians worried that an angry Trump could do that, could just cut them off?
KAKISSIS: Yeah, there's definitely real concern about that because more than anyone, the Ukrainians want this war to end, but in a way that will keep Russia from attacking it again, and now they're really vulnerable. Several Ukrainians I spoke to wonder what will happen on the battlefield or if Russia will keep hitting Ukraine's energy grid or if there will be more Russian drones, which we hear almost every night already.
Serhii Fursa - he's an investment analyst in Kyiv. He's worried about what will happen to Ukraine's economy, which, of course, has struggled during the war. But he also says Zelenskyy was put in an impossible position at the White House and that even if he had sat quietly next to Trump, not much would have changed for Ukraine.
SERHII FURSA: I think outcome will be almost the same because Trump definitely doesn't want to support Ukraine, and he wants to make a quick peace. And this quick peace is possible only on terms of Mr. Putin.
KAKISSIS: Vladimir Putin, he says, seems to have all the cards, at least according to Donald Trump.
DETROW: Zelenskyy is now in London meeting with European leaders. Is there hope that a tighter alliance with Europe might help Ukraine here?
KAKISSIS: Sure. Zelenskyy has talked about that. He's talked about a European army, which was a long way off but something the EU is considering. We spoke to Lilia Alekseyva, a 28-year-old marketing analyst about this. And she sees hope, but she's also worried that if the war drags on, European support might wane.
LILIA ALEKSEYVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).
KAKISSIS: She said, "the Europeans want us to survive because we are the shield. We are protecting them from Russia. But," she said, "I have no illusions. They won't send their own people to die for Ukrainians."
DETROW: That's NPR's Joanna Kakissis talking to us from Kyiv, where people are still processing what happened yesterday. Thanks so much.
KAKISSIS: You're welcome, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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